  We give new sufficient conditions for a sequence of polynomials to have only
real zeros based on the method of interlacing zeros. As applications we derive
several well-known facts, including the reality of zeros of orthogonal
polynomials, matching polynomials, Narayana polynomials and Eulerian
polynomials. We also settle certain conjectures of Stahl on genus polynomials
by proving them for certain classes of graphs, while showing that they are
false in general.
