CATKIN TRIBE ; POPLAR. 



501 



Plane, and Poplar, with the Birch, Willow, and many others. 

 The name given to the order is AMENTACE^E*, or Catkin tribe, 

 on account of the arrangement of the flowers in most of the 

 species, forming what is termed a catkin t ; but this arrangement 



Fio. 179 BIRCH. 



is not universal. There is, indeed, considerable variety in this 

 respect, as well as in the degree of completeness of the flowers, 

 which sometimes contain both sets of organs, whilst in general 

 the stamineous and pistilline flowers are distinct, sometimes, 

 even, being on separate trees. They all agree, however, in the 

 simple structure of the flowers, as well as in other particulars. 



* Professor Lindley divides the Amentacese into several orders. 



f A catkin is a long flower-stalk on which the flowers are closely set ; and 

 differs from a spike only in this, that the whole falls off together, as is seen 

 in the Poplar or Willow. 



