226 DIOECIA— DIANDRIA. Salix. 



Fl. Dan.) Fl. Br. 1067- Engl. Bot. v.2\. 1. 1488. Rees's Cycl. 



n. 1 26. Lightf. 607. Hook. Scot. 286. Hofm. Sal. t. 3./. 1 , 2. 



<.21./.a, b, c. Ehrh.Arb. 98. 

 S.n. 1653. Hall. Hist. V. 2. 3\0. 

 S. lutifolia rotunda. Bauh. Pin. 474. Rail Syn. 449. 

 S. folio subiotundo, auriculata. Raii Cant. 145. 7i. 2. 

 S. quarta. Trag. Hist. 1078./. 

 S. caprea latifolia. Tabern. Kreicterb. 1452. f. Ger. £/«. 1390. 



/./. only. 

 S. latifolia inferne hirsuta. Bauh. Hist. v. \.p. 2.215./. 



In woods and hedges, on a rather dry soil, very common. 



Tree. April. 



A moderate-sized tree, with spreading, round, brown, or purplish, 

 branches, minutely downy when young. Leaves larger and 

 broader than in any other of the genus, of a deep green above, 

 with a dovvny rib 3 white underneath, or rather glaucous, veiny, 

 densely clothed with soft, white, cottony down, which gives them 

 a considerable thickness ; they are generally broadly ovate, ap- 

 proaching to orbicular, with a sharp point ; sometimes more 

 elliptical ; either rounded, or slightly heart-shaped, at the base, 

 varying in length from 2 to 3 inches; the margin wavy, and 

 more or less strongly serrated. Willdenow describes them as 

 almost a foot long on young trees; but 1 have never met with 

 such. Footstalks stout, downy, approaching to an inch in 

 length, though often much shorter. Stipulas very various in 

 size, half-heartshaped, acute, serrated, ribbed, glaucous at the 

 back, assuming a crescent shape as the branch swells. Catkins 

 numerous, much earlier than the foliage, almost quite sessile ; 

 the barren ones much larger than in any other British species, 

 S. oleifolia excepted, being above an inch long, thick, oval, 

 bright yellow, fragrant after rain, which last quality is, however, 

 not peculiar to this species ; fertile ones at first of the same size 

 and shape, but they soon become more elongated and cylindri- 

 cal. Bracteas oblong, small, conspicuous, at the first opening 

 of the buds, for their beautiful silvery satin-like covering. Scales 

 obovate, blackish, extremely hairy. Nect. ovate, papillary. Stam. 

 longer than their scale, with oblong, full-yellow anthers. Germ. 

 ovate-lanceolate, silky, on a hairy stalk, scarcely equal to the 

 scale. Style hardly any. Stigm. oblong, thick, undivided. Caps. 

 ovate, nearly smooth. The gxeatjlower-buds, heioxe they open, 

 are no less remarkable than in .S. oleifolia. 



The name caprea seems to have originated in the reputed fondness 

 of goats for the catkins, as exemplified in the wooden cut of the 

 venerable Tragus, their namesake. 



Lightfoot well describes the various length and breadth of the 

 leaves, as well as their downy softness. He speaks of the bark 

 as serving the Highlanders for tanning, and of the wood as 

 smooth, soft, white and flexible, used for handles of hatchets, 



