THE EARLY FOSSIL HISTORY OF SALICACEAE - A BRIEF REVIEW

Current evidence for early fossil Salicaceae is summarised. Most data come from Europe and North America where revisionary studies are in progress in several laboratories. The earliest records of the modem genera are from North America with Populus section Abaso in the Late Palaeocene and Salix subgenus Salix in the early Eocene. This evidence is based mainly on leaves but the presence of Populus is confirmed by a leafy shoot with attached fruiting raceme. The two genera first occur later in Europe with Populus in the uppermost Eocene and Salix in the Middle Oligocene. Members of both genera in both continents apparently occupied riparian habitats early in their history.