VIII. 2. THE MUHLENBERG WILLOW. 257 



Var. 3. — Similar to these and resembling them in the naked, 

 persistent, virgate stems which had borne the fructification in 

 the preceding spring, is a willow intermediate between these 

 and S. rostrdta, perhaps a variety of the latter, with broad, 

 oblong, lanceolate leaves, waved or crenate at the margin, and 

 revolute, smooth but. corrugated and sage-like above, very downy 

 beneath, pointed, often acuminate, at the end, rounded at base, 

 on a short petiole. I take this to be & recurvala of Pursh. 



It is a shrub six or eight feet high, with light brown bark on 

 the trunk, dark brown above, with a dark, clouded pubescence 

 on the last year's shoots. The recent shoots are pale green, and 

 somewhat pubescent. 



Leaves on short petioles, lanceolate or oblanceolate, usually 

 broader towards the extremities, rather acute at each end, nearly 

 entire, with a light, silky pubescence above when young, after- 

 wards smooth and shining, but strongly marked with depres- 

 sions at the veins and nerves; rugose and veiny beneath; revo- 

 lute and waved on the margin ; vernation revolute. Stipules 

 about as long as the petiole, unequally ovate, pointed, some- 

 times entire, often with one or two teeth on each side, downy. 



Aments appearing before the leaves and on distinct branches, 

 the staminate half an inch long, often recurved, with two or 

 three small leaves at base ; scales rounded, brown, with thin, 

 long, silken hairs, particularly on the edges ; stamens two, on 

 long filaments. Pistillate, one third to one half an inch, recurv- 

 ed ; scales dark brown, somewhat silky ; germens ovate, closely 

 covered with whitish, silky pubescence, supported on long pedi- 

 cels, and tapering gradually to the bifid stigma. 



Sp. 2. Muhlenberg's Willow. S. Muhlenbergiana. Barratt. 

 & conifera. Muni. Willd. 



Leaves oblong-lanceolate, remotely serrate, acute, smooth above, plain and 

 downy beneath ; recent shoots smooth ; stipules lunate, somewhat dentate ; 

 aments preceding- the leaves, diandrous ; scales lanceolate, obtuse, villous; 

 ovaries stalked, lanceolate, silky ; style bifid, stigmas bilobed. — Pursh, II, 612. 



Branches blackish, the younger ones pubescent. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, 

 acute, remotely, minutely and acutely serrate, very entire at base, above deep 

 green, smooth, beneath plane, not rugose-veined, softly tomentose, late in au- 

 tumn nearly smooth. Leaf-stalks long. Stipules middle-sized, lunate, some- 



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