YIIL 2. THE BRITTLE WILLOWS. 263 



old trees covered with whitish and grayish membranaceous 

 lichens. Male aments three fourths of an inch long, with 

 broader leaves on the footstalk, very silky. Leaves half an 

 inch by three inches or more, lanceolate or narrow-elliptic, 

 sometimes a little falcate. Stalk rather long, silky above, 

 rounded or rarely acute at base, tapering to a long point, ser- 

 rate, the serratures glandular and bent towards the point of 

 the leaf, sometimes undulate, smooth, often shining, with the 

 mid-rib downy above; glaucous, silken, or hairy, sometimes 

 smooth, beneath. Stipules half-heart-shaped, ending in an acute 

 or blunt point above, serrate. The leaves on the branches near 

 the trunk, smaller, more acute, and silky. 



This perfectly well characterized willow is found at Mans- 

 field, Ipswich, Ware, Williamstown, and in many other parts 

 of the State. Its twigs are long and slender and very tough, 

 yet extremely brittle for an inch or two at base, so as to break 

 short with little resistance. The leaves blacken in drying, and 

 communicate a deep permanent stain to the paper in which they 

 are dried or afterwards kept. It promises to be useful to the 

 basket-maker, and probably contains, in its extremely bitter 

 bark, a valuable dye, as it certainly does a great quantity of 

 some bitter principle. 



Group Fourth. Viminales. Borrer. 



The basket osier, S. vimindlis. L. has been introduced and 

 is doubtless found in Massachusetts. I have not found it 

 growing. 



Group Fifth. The Brittle Willows. Fragihs. Borrer. 



Aments stalked, cylindrical, lax, acuminate, expanding with 

 the leaves or after. Scales greenish yellow, downy, or smooth. 

 Stamens two to Jive, expanding first from the base of the ament. 

 Ovaries smooth. Leaves lanceolate, or lanceolate-falcate, serrate, 

 denticulate, or entire. Trees.' — Barratt. 



A less natural group than the preceding. The species would 

 fall easily into three sub-groups; S. fragilis, decipiens, Rus- 

 sellidna and vitellma, forming the first ; S. lucida, the second, 



