178 DIOFX'IA— DIANDRIA. Sulix. 



minute, short, dense downiness on the upper side of the mid- 

 rib and of thefootstalk. Sometimes even this slight pubescence 

 is wanting. Catkins from several short, leafless, lateral, crowd- 

 ed stalks. Scales often in pairs, bearded ; those in the lower 

 part of the catkin oblong, about equal to the stalks of the ger- 

 mens; the rest rounded, and much shorter. Germen ovate and 

 tumid at the base, thrice the length of its downy stalk, tapering 

 towards the extremity, where it is, now and then, a little silky, 

 but otherwise quite smooth. Style smooth, as long as the deeply 

 cloven stigmas. I am not certain of the barren plant of this 

 species. Those who may fortunately ascertain it, will perliaps 

 find characters, either to confirm those proposed above, or to set 

 aside the species, for there are traces of variableness about all 

 the specimens I have seen. 



13. S. bicolor. Shining dark-green Willow. 



Leaves elliptic-oblong, acute, waved and slightly sen-ated, 

 nearly smooth ; glaucous beneath. Footstalks dilated 

 at the base. Stipulas pointed, serrated. Scales obtuse, 

 hairy, half as long as the densely downy, ovate, long- 

 stalked germen. 



S. bicolor. Ehrh.Arh. 1 18. Fl. Br. 1048. Engl. Bot.v.26.t. 1806. 

 Rees'sOjd. n.l9. WinchGuide,v. 1.89. Willd.Sp.Pl.vA.mi. 



S. laurina. Tr. of L. Soc. v. G. 122. mild. v. 4. 662. 



In woods and thickets, in various parts of Britain ; not uncommon 

 in Norfolk. 



Shrub, or small tree. April, May. 



Branches at first erect and wand-like, round, of a mahogany co- 

 lour, beset with copious, nearly upright leaves, and attaining 

 the height of 6 feet. If neglected, the plant becomes a small 

 tree. The youngest shoots only are downy or minutely hairy. 

 Leaves 2 or 3 inches long, and an inch, more or less, in breadth, 

 shorter, but not narrower, in Ehrhart's specimen than most 

 English ones } all terminating in a short, broadish point ; the 

 margin unequally toothed, here and there slightly revolute, 

 rarely a little wavy j the base rather sloping, slightly, and not 

 uniformly, rounded j the upper side of a full, bright, shining 

 green, not so much blackened by drying as in S. nigricans or 

 some others, and for the most part smooth, except the midrib, 

 the very youngest only being all over downy. The under side 

 is very glaucous, slightly hairy in a young state only, with nu- 

 merous, prominent, interbranching veins. Footstalks downy on 

 the upper side, broad and triangular at the base } their length 

 various on the same tree. Stipulas half-heartshaped, acute, 

 serrated, usually small, but variable. Catkins earlier than the 

 foliage, lateral, solitary, on short stalks, with a few ovate, very 



