\ 



55 DIANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. Salix. 



Hofi 



Blackw. 327-Mi 



igg-Dad. 843. l~Lob. obs. 567 • 2, fir. ii. 136. 2-Ger. 

 em. 1389. 1-Pari. 1430. l^Gars. 508-G*r. 1203. 1- 

 7. B. i. b. 212- 1-Trag, 1077-Lon. i. 25. 2. b. 



f> 



Linn. 



A tall straight tree, bark grey, cracked. Branches numerous, 

 upright, but expanding, grey or brown green. M. Catkins 

 cylindrical, blunt, If to 2 inches long, 4 lines broad, on fruiu 

 stalks which are \ inch long. Stam. 2. Nectaries 2, 1 before 

 the stamens inversely heart-shaped, the other behind them, and 

 oblong. F. Catkins slender, cylindrical, 2 inches long, 3 or 4 

 lines oroad ; on fruit-stalks near an inch in length. Leaves 

 sharply and elegantly serrated, shining but pubescent above, white 

 and silky underneath. Inner bark green, but in the S. njiteU 

 Una it is yellow. Hoffm. 



White or Common Willow. Woods, hedge-rows, and wet 

 meadow and pasture land. T. April,* 



* It loves a moist and open situation ; grows quick, and bears lop- 

 ping. The wood is very white, and is therefore preferred for making 

 Milk pails and Butter- firkins. It is also used for flooring, for chests and 

 » for boxes. It is light, tough and pliable. — The Rev. Mr. Stone, in the 



Pbll. Trans. \m. p. 195, gives us an account of the great eilicacy of the 

 bark of this tree in curing intermitting Fevers. He gathers the bark in 

 summer, when it is full of sap, dries it by a gentle heat, and gives a dram 

 of it powdered every four hours between the fits. In a few obstinate 

 cases he mixed it with one fifth part of Peruvian bark. It is remarkable 

 that intermittents are most prevalent in wet countries ; and this tree 

 grows naturally in such situations. Whilst the Peruvian bark remained 

 at its usual moderate price, it was hardly worth while to seek for a sub- 

 stitute ; but now its price is more than double, and Hie supply from South 

 America hardly equal to the consumption, we may expect to find it dearer 

 and more adulterated every year. The Witc Willow Bark is therefore 

 likely to become an object worth the attention of physicians, and if its 

 success upon a more enlarged scale of practice proves equal to Mr. Stone's 

 experiments, the world will be much indebted to that gentleman for his 

 communication. The bark of S. triandra and fragtih have the same pro- 

 perties. A set of experiments should therefore be instituted to aspertaii* 

 1 which of the species ought to be preferred. — This bark will tan leather. 

 Horses, cows, sheep and goats eat the leaves and young shoots. The 

 different species of it support the following insects : Papi/io Antiopa, and 



Polycbioros ; Sphinx Qccellata, Pcpnt'i ; Phalana Quercifolia, Rubi, Lancsiris, 

 Vinula y Dismal Moth, Phalana SaJieh, Pbalana Bucephala, Monarchy 

 7Jcxac y CassuSy Willow red-under-wing Moth, Pbalaena facta % Citrago, 

 Cream-bordered Pea-green Moth, PhaUna Salictlla, Bushy Prominent 

 Moth, Phalana Pavoxia> ZMatrix, PsL Willow Beauty Moth, Tenthred* 

 Luttay Caprea, Rustics; Ichneumon Glomeratus ; Aphis Saline, Cb>ysomtia 

 Polita y Chrysomela Sericea ; Curculh Nebulosus ; Cocci nelLi 14 Guttatus, Cicada 



Cornuta. Large excrescences are frequently found upon the branches and 

 leaves of Willows, these are habitations of different species of Cymps. — 

 Whoever desires to shade a walk with willows, should set male plants 

 only, or else they will soon multiply so as to form a thicket instead of * 



walk. The same observation holds good of the Poplar. Bees are very 

 fond of the flowers. 





