*POPULUS* L. The genus *Populus* L., popularly known as Poplar distributed throughout the world chiefly in the northern temperate regions and a few are extending to East Africa ( Mabberley, 2008). The genus *Populus* has the characters as follows:
Deciduous trees; branches lon. Leaves alternate; leaf blades ovate, deltoid, rhombic, elliptic, rarely lanceolate or linear, often dimorphic or even polymorphic; petioles long, terete, or laterally compressed. Catkins appear before the leaves ( precocious), long pedunculate, pendulous, often lax-flowered; flowers pedicellate; borne on a disc; male flowers: stamens 4-many; female flowers: ovary sessile, surrounded by the disc, 1-loculed. Capsules 2-4-valved; seeds numerous. The genus *Populus* L. consists of 35 species ( Mabberlay, 2002 and 2008), but according to Fang *et al*.( 1999) and Ali( 2001) *Populus* L. have 100 species which are distributed in Asia, Europe, North America and Northern Africa. Most of the species of *Populus* L. are distributed in the North-Western Himalayan region in India. *P. ciliata* has extended distribution from Jammu & Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh of India. This genus shows a longer path of distribution from Afghanistan to China touching Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar.* P. alba*, *P. nigra* var. *italica*, and *P. deltoides* etc. are stated to be basically introduced for a long time. Several exotic species and their hybrids are in trials mainly in the North-western Himalaya. Large scale cultivation are mainly occur in tarai and Hilly regions of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. As the wood of Poplars are directly related to wood industry, different business houses and companies take initiative for spreading and increasing *Populus* cultivation. Species of *Populus* L. in cultivation are known as Poplar, Aspen, Cottonwood are also known to cultivated in gardens. However, much plant is planted for pulp wood, windbreaks, avenues and also as ornamental. * SALIX L.* Deciduous trees, or shrubs; branches terete. Leaves mostly alternate; blades variously shaped, often long and narrow; petioles frequently short; stipules small, free, deciduous. Catkin solitary, axillary to terminal, appearing before, with or after leaves; male flowers: sessile, bracteate; glandular; gland 1 or 2, fleshy and juicy; stamens 2-many; filaments free, or connate; female flowers: sessile, bracteate; glandular; ovary sessile or stipitate. Infructescence slender; capsules ovoid-conical, 2-valved; seeds oblong to ellipsoid, small, comose. The genus *Salix* L. have 400 species, chiefly distributed in northern temperate regions ( Mabberley, 2008 ), a few are also found in the Southern Hemisphere excluding Australia and New Guinea. According to Fang ( 1987) there are *ca*. 526 species of *Salix *L. in the World, most of which are distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, with only a few are distributed to Southern Hemisphere. In India most of the species are found in the Himalaya from Jammu & Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh. A few viz. *S. tetrasperma* and *S. ichnostachya* are available in the tropical and subtropical zones as well. *S. tetrasperma* is the most widely spread species of Salix in India, found almost all the parts. Collection and identification of *Salix* are pretty laborious job as it found in very hostile hill slopes and look very similar in the field. As no such elaborate flower is present in this member, identification can be confirmed after dissecting the flower in many cases. The majority of the species of *Salix *are grown along or near the river banks, lakes, etc. even grow on boulder-strewn ground near stream. The common habitat of *Salix *nearer to water bodies reflects the fact that they need constant moisture supply for immediate seed germination. Many willows are grown as ornamentals and for screens, shelter, holding banks and some of the species for the tuff flexible branches from which baskets are made. Thanks, Sukla ------------------------------------------------ Sukla Chanda, PhD Science & Education, The Field Museum, Chicago IL. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
