SALIX. 



652. S. pentandra Linn. sp. pi. 1442. Eng. Bot.t. 1805. 



Smith Eng. Fl. iv. 171 Chiefly in the north of Europe, often 



in subalpine stations. (Sweet Willow.) 



A handsome upright tree, about 15 or 20 feet high, exhaling a 

 fragrant bay-like scent from the resinous notches of its leaves, as well 

 as from the barren catkins. The branches are smooth and shining. 

 Leaves on stout, rather short, footstalks, with very small stipules, or 

 none at all, ovate, with a taper point ; their length 2 or 3 inches ; 

 breadth 1 inch, or H inch ; both sides finely veined, perfectly smooth ; 

 the upper of a full, rich, shining green ; under paler, and more opaque; 

 their edges finely and copiously crenate throughout, discharging a 

 yellow resin, whence the scent originates. This resin, as Linnasus 

 observes, stains paper between which the leaves are pressed, with 

 rows of permanently yellow dots. About the top of each footstalk, 

 in front, are several glands, likewise resinous. Catkins solitary, 

 at the ends of leafy shoots of the present year, the barren ones 

 large, dense, yellow, with oblong, obtuse, hairy scales, half the length 

 of their 5 or 6, sometimes 8 or 9, filaments, which are more or less 

 densely bearded at the base; the common stalk or receptacle is also 

 hairy. Fertile catkins about the same size, often 2 inches long; their 

 receptacle, and base of the scales, hairy. Ovary smooth, ovate, 

 elongated and contracted in the upper part, much longer than the 

 scales, on a very short stalk ; style thick, scarcely so long as the 

 deeply-cloven stigmas. Smith. — Nees v. Esenbeck prefers the bark of 

 this to that of any other species ; there is an aroma in it which the 

 others want. 



653. S. Caprea Linn. sp. pi. 1448. Eng. Bot. 1. 1488, under 

 which name it is probable that all the " Sallows " should be 

 comprehended, is officinal in the Dublin Pharmacopoeia, and 

 was contained in that of London for 1824. 



POPULUS. 



<y . Catkin oblong, cylindrical, loosely imbricated every way, 

 many-flowered. Bract a single-flowered, wedge-shaped, flat 

 scale, unequally jagged at the summit. Calyx turbinate and 

 tubular below ; dilated, undivided, and obliquely cup-shaped in 

 the border. Filaments 8, or more, capillary, very short. An- 

 thers drooping, large, quadrangular. ? . Catkin as in the <? but 

 generally shorter. Bract and calyx as in the $ . Ovary ovate, 

 pointed ; style none ; stigmas 4 or 8, awl-shaped. Capsule ovate, 

 of 2 concave valves, and 1 cell. Seeds numerous, small, ovate, 

 each crowned with a tuft of fine hairs. 



654. P. nigra Linn. sp. pi. 1464. Eng. Bot. t. 1910. Smith 

 Eng. Fl. iv. 245. — Waterv places, about the banks of rivers. 

 (Black Poplar.) 



A tall umbrageous tree, without suckers. Wood tough and close- 

 grained. Bark thick, blackish, somewhat spongy. Branches smooth; 

 rarely hairy when young. Leaves twice the length of their footstalks, 

 deltoid, or unequally quadrangular, deep green, very smooth, pointed, 

 319 



