464 THE SALIX LISTS IN THE 'LONDON CATALOGUE.' 



is the presence of a moderate style in undulata; in S. lutescens Kern., 

 however, a style which is of frequent occurrence is considered no 

 difficulty, though S. aurita and S. cinerea commonly have none. In 

 S. undulata Ehrh. the serration of the leaf is strong evidence 

 against the presence of S. viminnlis, and the concolorous scales and 

 glabrous ovaries show no sign of its presence. I have succeeded in 

 crossing S. triandra and S. viminalis, and, though this must not be 

 considered a crucial test, the result is so far satisfactory, that 

 S. hipptipliaifolia Thuill. is the product and not S. undulata Ehrh. 

 This conclusion affects the thu'd hybrid in the list, viz. ^'triandra 

 X riiiiinaUs [undulata Ehrh.) " as well as the first ; for S. hippo- 

 phaijblia Thuill. must stand as the true and ascertained synonym 

 for S. triandra x viminaUs. 



With regard to the question whether S. decipiens Hoffm. is 

 S.fraf/ilis X triandra, there are two or three facts which militate 

 against this theory ; otherwise, in most respects, it affords a satis- 

 factory explanation. The flowers, both male and female, of S. 

 decipiens are few and scattered, as Hoffmann said in his description; 

 while both fragilis and triandra are free-flowering. The buds are 

 not far removed from those of S. triandra in shape, but show none 

 of the influence of S. fragilis, and in winter are easily distinguished 

 from both. Dr. White [Journ. Linn. Soc. xxvii. p. 3id) expressed 

 incredulity about Leefe's statement, "buds black in spring," 

 remarking, " but his specimens have pale buds." Herbarium 

 specimens usually have pale buds, as the winter-buds do not begin 

 to blacken till about October ; it is the catkin-buds that become 

 black, and the black exterior scales, which are more or less polished, 

 have usually fallen off or lost colour by the time flowering speci- 

 mens are gathered in spring. I have seen this peculiarity of bud 

 in S. pentandra L., but in no other British willow besides the one 

 under consideration. The polish of the bark of the twigs is in 

 excess of either supposed parent ; and in female specimens of S. 

 /rar/ilis var. porceUanea Baenitz, which Dr. White has rightly iden- 

 tified with IS. decipiens Hoffm., the pedicels of the ovaries are not 

 intermediate in length, but shorter than in S./ratjilis or 6'. triandra. 

 Unless these objections can be disposed of, S. decipiens must be 

 placed as a variety, or better as a subspecies, under *S'. fragilis for 

 the present. There are other named forms of the hybrid, as N. alo- 

 pecuroides Tausch, S. subtriundra, and ti. Kovatsii, known on the 

 Continent ; but for Britain I know of no examples (apart from 

 S. decipiens); for after cultivating my St. Neot's, Hunts, plant 

 (Journ. Linn. Soc. xxvii. 353) for years, there is no doubt that it is 

 IS. trmndra, and that Dr. White and myself were misled by the 

 abnormal summer-flowering catkins. 



The varieties of S. triandra have always been a source of 

 harassment to British botanists, and their diminution or dis- 

 appearance, if justified, aflbrds a welcome relief. Of the four 

 varieties admitted in the previous edition of the Catalogue, S. aniyg- 

 dalina L. and S. contorta Crowe seem to be at most indistinct leaf- 

 variations; S. Trevirani Spr. both Wimmer and Audersson agree in 

 explaining as S. triandra x viminalis. But S. Hoffmanniana Sm., 



