











BEVISION OF THE BRITISH WILLOWS. 



449 



Now, whatever doubt attends the Linnean plant — and it is cer- 

 tainly great,— there is none about Smith's. Both his descrip- 

 tions and his specimens clearly indicate a hybrid between pur- 

 purea and viminalis, though much more closely related to the 

 former than to the latter. It is to be noted, however, that many 



Helix 



"a uiu-iuui specimens naineu wmw jxotm uciuug w ~. t ^^- jr — — 



As a rule, S. rubra seems to show a smaller range of variation 

 than most other hybrids, and hence its division by Grenier into 

 two chief varieties— viminaloides and purpureoides—h&s some 

 claim for consideration. But this supposed constancy of form is 

 perhaps more apparent than real ; and is due, in the first place, to 

 the fact that in many cases the plants have been derived from 

 cuttings, and not from seeds ; and, in the second, to the leaves ot 

 both parent species being of the linear-lanceolate type, and hence 

 not affording so much scope for difference in outline in the hybrid. 



Var. viminaloides (or rubra genuina) is distinguished by its longer 

 and narrower lanceolate leaves, more or less pubescent below, at 

 least when young, and with the margins more or less revolute; 

 by the paler and more hairy $ catkins ; and by the longer style 

 and stigmas. The petioles of the leaves are described as longer, 

 but in this and other points there is variability. In some 

 British books the filaments are said to be free except at the base; 

 but in the same catkin filaments almost free or united to any 

 point between the base and the apex may be found. 



Var. purpureoides (which includes Forbiana, Sm.) has leaves 

 broader at the middle, with flat and more or less serrated margins 

 and more entirely glabrous surfaces ; darker-coloured and less 

 bairy catkins, and more obtuse capsules with shorter styles and 

 dicker stigmas. The leaves are described as more shortly petioled 

 than in viminaloides, and Continental examples often show this, 

 but in authentic examples of the British Forbiana the reverse is 



41 r 



the case. 











c case. 



Andersson adopts Grenier's division into two varieties ; but 

 Wimmer, who distinguishes several forms, does not : and since 

 m places where rubra occurs as a spontaneous hybrid plants 

 combining the characters of viminaloides and purpureoides may 

 be found, I think that it is not desirable to maintain varieties in 

 tbis hybrid more than in others. Wimmer's forms are b. ±or- 

 hfana- c . 9e ricea, Koch (-& eleagnifolia, Tausch), with tue 

 leaves clothed below with silvery-white hairs— a form wnicii i 

 !*ve seen in Perthshire ; d. macrostigma ; and e. angustissima. 

 Tbese and other described modifications show that though, tor 





