114 AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST. 
In the Greek mythology and literature we meet with Populus 
alba under the name ’Ayepwis so called because it was said to have 
been discovered along the river Acheron. It was also called xev by 
Homer, Theophrastus and numerous other Greek writers. The 
latter name is still applied to P. alba in Greece. Another tradition 
tells of Leuce, the daughter of Oceanus whom Pluto fell in love 
with and carried off to the infernal regions, being changed after her 
death into a white poplar. 
In Stapel’s Commentaries (Stapel. Theophr. Hist. 217. 
1644.) we find the following interesting legend from Theocrites. 
'* Olympionicus inquit Herculem cum ad inferos descenderet, invenisse 
circa Acherontem inferni fluvium, nascentem populum albam, eamque 
ad homines portasse, quam Homerus id circo aeheroida vocavit.’ 
(Theocrites) ‘‘ Narran! ex hac Herculem sibi fecisse coronam, 
eamque capiti imposuisse. Hinc folii partem superiorem porracei seu 
viridissimi coloris esse, ita ut nigra propemodum videatur ac propter 
fuliginem ac caliginem terri fumi obscura adeo facta: alteram vero - 
partem, quae temporibus adhaesit, a sudore abluto exalbutsse.”’ 
Sibthorp (Fl. Graec. Prodr. 2:260.1813) recorded Populus alba 
from Greece and according to him the name Xe was still in use. 
In the works of Dioscorides we find no description of Populus 
alba but a great deal about its medicinal uses. 
That deves of the Greeks was identical with Populus alba of the 
Romans there is little doubt : 
'" Leucen Romani albam Populum dicunt."  *  * Marcellus 
Virgilius, Diosc. 14. 1523. 
There has been and is still some diversity of opinion as to the 
identity of Populus alba. ‘The name has been applied to a number 
of forms varying from what we regard as P. alba to P. tremula. 
Intermediate between these we have P. canescens which latter has 
been mistaken for the true P. alba. 
One of the earlier records of P. canescens is to be found in “the 
works of Lobelius. It is illustrated in Pl. seu Stirp. Ic. 2:193. 
1581 and named Populus alba minoribus foliis, while Populus alba 
received the name Populus alba latifolia. The illustration of the 
latter shows leaves characteristic of P. nivea Willd. Similar illus- 
trations of Populus alba we find in the following works: Lobelius, 
Stirp. Ob. p. 609, 1576; Matthiolus, Comm. Diosc. p. 136, 1565 
and pp. 129, 130, 1598; Dodonaeus, Stirp. His. 823. f., 1583 
and 835 f., 1616; Gerard. Herb. 1301. f. 1., 1597. 
