THE BLACK POPLAR. ABI 
A good deal of interest will naturally centre 
around the circumstances which are believed to 
have given origin to the generic name of Poplar. 
In Rome the Poplar was called the Arbor populi, 
or Tree of the people, either because—as was the 
fact—Trees of this genus were largely planted in 
public places, or on account of a much more in- 
genious supposition that the inconstancy of the 
people was accurately represented by the rest- 
lessness of the Poplar foliage. We may here 
venture to suggest that the extraordinary fecun- 
dity of the Tree may perhaps have had some- 
thing to do with the generic name given to 
it. Although the quality of tremulousness has 
been especially ascribed to the Aspen, the foliage 
of all the species is singularly restless, often 
moving when there is little perceptible breeze. 
Hence the appropriateness of the generic ap- 
pellation. 
It must be generally noted that the Poplars are 
what are called diawciows Trees, or Trees whose 
male and female flowers are borne on different in- 
dividuals of the same species—that is to say, one 
set of individuals bearing the male flowers, and 
