Populus 1 8 1 5 



He quotes from Foucault that its branches are less spreading than the Canadian 

 poplar, and that on account of its more rapid growth and greater aptitude to thrive 

 on dry soils, it had been very largely planted in all parts of France. 



Poiret's account ^ of the black poplars existing in France in 1 804 is instructive. 

 He enumerated five kinds : — 



1. P. nigra, European species. 



2. P. angulata, American species. 



3. P. monilifera, American species, accurately described, 



4. Peuplier Suisse, which he regarded as. of European origin, and therefore gave 

 it the botanical name of P. nigra helvetica ; but he added that it resembled in many 

 ways the next kind. 



5. P. canadensis, apparently a hybrid from the description. 



Mirbel,^ also in 1804, distinguished five black poplars in cultivation : — 



1. P. nigra. 



2. P. angulaia. 



3. " P. monilifera, Alton, with ciliate leaves," the true American species. 



4. Peuplier Suisse, also known as "P. virginiana, Hort. Paris." 



5. " P. monilifera, Hort. Paris, with non-ciliate leaves," quite distinct from P. 

 monilifera, Alton, and commonly known -a.^ peuplier de Canada. 



I am unable to identify with certainty the second hybrid, P. canadensis, Poiret, 

 or P. monilifera, Hort. Paris ; but it was evidently distinct from the peuplier Suisse, 

 and was not the true American species ; and possibly may have been identical with 

 P. regenerata, which originated independently in 18 14, near Paris. 



Poiret,^ in 18 16, added another poplar to his list of 1804, P. marilandica, Bosc, 

 which on account of its rhombic leaves, with long points, similar to those of P. nigra, 

 appears to be a second cross, probably the glabrous form of P. nigra, pollinated by 

 P. serotina. 



P. angulata, on account of its remarkable large leaves and conspicuously winged 

 branchlets, was never confused with the other species and hybrids, and has con- 

 tinued to be cultivated both in England and on the Continent. The other American 

 species, which was difficult to grow except in favourable moist soils, gradually ceased 

 to be cultivated, and is now a rare tree in Europe. As the existence of hybrids was 

 not suspected, both botanists and cultivators assumed the hybrids to be true species 

 from America ; and in course of time there were practically only four black poplars 

 generally recognised in France : — 



1. P. nigra. 



2. P. angulata, known generally 2& peuplier de Caroline. 



3. P. serotina, known either as peuplier suisse or peuplier de Virginie ; always 

 a staminate tree. 



4. P- marilandica and P. regenerata, known commonly as peuplier de Canada, 

 both pistillate trees. 



The origin of the other hybrids is mentioned in their descriptions, which follow ; 



> In Lamarck, Encycl. Metk. v. 235-239 (1804). "- In Nomitau Dukamel, ii. i86 (1804). 



3 In Lamarck, Encycl. Meth. Suppl. iv. 378 (1816). 



