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REVISION OF THE BRITISn WILLOWS. 411 



d. vaccinifolia, "Walker — all of which were at one time supposed 

 to be distinct species. 



Wimmer has :— a. Waldsteiniana, Willd., ft.formosa, Willd., and 

 y.foetida, Schleich. (to which he refers venulosa and vaccinifolia). 



Andersson has also three chief modifications— a. erecta (with 

 tliree leaf-forms which include Waldsteiniana, formosa, and pru- 

 nifolia); /3. humilis (with two leaf-forms which include fcetida, 

 venulosa, and vaccinifolia) ; and y. thymelceoides, Schleich. (about 

 which Wimmer is doubtful, and which Andersson thinks may be 

 a subpilose condition). Both "Wimmer and Andersson place 

 Salix carinata, Sm., as a synonym of 8. Arbuscula. 



If any varieties are to be retained, Audersson's arrangement 

 seems to be the best. S. erecta is distinguished by its more up- 

 right and taller growth, its larger leaves, and less leafy catkins ; 

 humilis by its smaller size, more creeping habit, smaller leaves, 

 and by the catkins which, when young, are subglobose and 

 buried in leaves. 



But whilst plants occur which agree well with the definition 

 of one or other of these modifications, there are many which can- 

 not be placed in one more than in the other. I therefore think 

 that it is inexpedient to adopt any varietal names. As for the 

 British forms, there seems to be little doubt but that 

 Arnott is right in saying that they cannot be satisfactorily dis- 

 tinguished. 



luere are some discrepancies in the various descriptions of 

 «*. Arbuscula. By some authors the style is described as elongate 



long; by others as very short or mediocre, which in the 

 majority of cases it is. The capsule is sometimes said to be 

 sessile, whereas it has a pedicel of varying length but always 

 much shorter than the rather elongate nectary, a character which 

 distinguishes it from S. phylicifolia, whose pedicel is always longer 

 °an the short nectary. The stipules are described as absent or 

 y ery rare ; but small stipules may often be seen on the young 

 shoots. The coma of the seeds is sometimes described as having 

 * r ^ di sh tinge ; but in all our specimens it is white. 



ome ot her points in which S. Arbuscula varies may be briefly 

 noticed. The leaves, which exhibit a considerable range in shape 

 . 81ze > vary also in the pubescence and colour. The underside 

 18 sometimes glaucous, sometimes green or with white dots; 



"Walker 



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