AN AERANGEMENT OF THE BRITISH WILLOWS. 3fi3 



of the leaves is of a metallic gTeen, bright ami shining. In the Arhus- 

 calre the young shoots are smooth; the stipules generally wanting; 

 under surface of the leaves a (lull green. In Mi/niultes tlie veins of 

 the intlexed leaves are more prominent below than above ; vvliere-is in 

 the Arhnacnlcd they are often more apparent above than b ilow. Tlie 

 peduncle of 8. myi'siuiles is leafless towards the base of the amcnt. 'J'he 

 serratures in S. myrsuiUes are more conspicuous and glandular tiinn in 

 the ArhHscnlfS. S. prucumfjei/s, except in size, is very near S. vii/rsinilt'S. 

 The nectary is a single, short, thick, blunt, pinkish gland. 



ii. RiiliGulalfB. Catkins on a leatless stalk, with a leaf opposite and 

 a bud between. Leaves on rather long petioles witiiout stipules. Nectary (?) 

 cloven. 



iii. Hcrhaccre. Peduncles short, bifoliate, with roundish, crenato- 

 scrrate, exstipuhito leaves, and axillary buds. Petiole very short. Nectary 

 probably cloven. 



S. Grahaiid, Borr., belongs here, and appears related to S. rcfiisa, 

 especially the form S. Kitaihalinna, \V. The heaves are infli;xed when 

 young, almost sessile, with shallow rather remote serratures, shiiiiiig al)ove, 

 paler beneath, and witii prominent veins on the under side, without sti- 

 ])ules. Principal veins nearly parallel, but when held up to the light the 

 leaves are seen to be reticulated with veins between. Nectary single, but 

 sometimes cloven. The Irish Willow, the discovery of which was Te- 

 conhul by Dr. Moore in the ' Journal of Botany,' is as nearly as may be 

 identical with 8. Grahnmi, Borr., and is a very interesting addition to our 

 flora. I believe Dr. Moore correctly refers S. polarU, Forbes, S diet. Bot. 

 t. 63, to S. Grahnmi ; S. polaris, Wahl., is very different. 



In the above remarks I have confined mysc^lf almost eutircly to the 

 characters of the sections which Professor Babington gives from the 

 writings of Dumortier. This arrangement may eventually be adopted, 

 but the characters appear, as regards the British species, first to need 

 some correction. 



Mr. Babington considers the British Willows to be a disgrace to our 

 flora. The discrimination of them is really no easy matter, and allowance 

 should be made for the inherent difliculty of the subject. To be under- 

 stood, the Willows should be cultivated ami observed at dilferent seasons; 

 and a practised eye is more to be relied upon than the characters found 

 in books. This qualification no one ever possessed more perfectly than 

 the lamented Mr. Borrer. To a thorough knowledge of the suliject he 

 added the utmost willingness to impart his knowledge to others, and to 

 enrich their collections from his abundant store both of specimens and 

 living plants. No botanist ever took a more natural and comprehensive 

 view of the genus. No diff(!rence, however slight, escaped his notice or 

 failed to have due weight attacluul to it. He was one who, as he himself 

 expressed it, had no theory to support, but sought only to understand 

 nature. A remark of the learned Fries will fitly conclude these observa- 

 tions, which I fear have run on to too great a length, " Charactcres non 

 specierum sunt criteria, sed ad species dignosceudas adminicula. Ex his' 

 niodo species agnoscuntur, ex v(!gctationis indole cognosciintur. . . . Mine 

 Lmujuus in speciebus discernendis non charactcres sed oculorum judiciiipie 

 acicm laudat." 



