206 DIOECIA-DIANDRIA. Salix. 



or roundish, with a short oblique point, entire, though somewhat 

 wavy, from 1^ to 24- inches long ; occasionally heart-shaped at 

 the base ; sometimes more obovate, inclining to lanceolate, and 

 the earlier ones much smaller ; all of a hoary, or grey aspect, 

 being covered, more or less completely, with long, soft, silky, 

 shaggy hairs, especially the upper surface -, the under is more 

 glaucous, beautifully reticulated with veins. Stipulas ovate, 

 acute, hairy, veiny. Catkins terminal, large, and very hand- 

 some, bright yellow j the barren ones proceed from lateral buds 

 in Fl. Dan. 1. 1057. I have seen fertile ones only, on Lapland 

 specimens -, the Scottish ones being destitute of both. Wahlen- 

 berg says, '' the catkins always come from terminal buds, and 

 are sessile, without hracteas, erect, straight, often as thick as 

 the thumb, and as long as the middle finger 3 shining all over with 

 a golden splendor, caused by the abundant hairs of the scales. 

 Each scale is more than half the length of the germen, its shaggy 

 hairs concealing the whole pistil. Germen larger than in other 

 species, quite sessile, perfectly smooth, green, not yellowish, 

 conical, or tapering from a broad base to a point, compressed. 

 Style nearly as long as the germen, divided. Nectarij of the 

 barren flowers a thick, almost cylindrical, abrupt, solitary gland, 

 at the inner side. The fruit-bearing catkin generally attains 

 the length of a span." Our Linnsean specimens, some wild, 

 some cultivated, answer to this description. The 2 stamens, 

 and nectarij, are orange -coloured in theF/. Dan. 



Dr. Wahlenberg justly observes that '* this is the most beautiful 

 Willow in Sweden, if not in the whole world. The splendid 

 golden catkins, at the ends of the young branches, light up, as 

 it were, the whole bush, and are accompanied by the young fo- 

 liage, sparkling with gold and silver. It yields more honey than 

 any other Salix, insomuch that the catkins are sweet in the mouth, 

 andare much frequented by alpine bees. From the marginal glands 

 of the stipulas, and sometimes from those of the leaves, a gummy 

 exudation proceeds, staining paper in which the plant is dried, 

 like S. pentajidra." These glands are not always discernible, 

 at least in dried specimens. 



Even without fructification, this species is strikingly different from 

 every other, and bears hardly the remotest affinity to S. arenaria 

 or glauca. Haller's n. 1 65 1 has been taken for S. lanata, which 

 it certainly is not. The son of that eminent botanist assured 

 Mr. Davall of several different things being confounded under 

 this 71^., which every Swiss collection, that I have seen, con- 

 firms. 



41. ^. argentea. Silky Sand Willow. 



Leaves elliptical, entire, somewhat revolute, with a recurved 

 point; rather downy above; silky and shining beneath, as 

 well as the branches. Stem upright. Germen ovate- 



