CREEPING WILLOW 



117 



The Creeping 



elliptic, lance-shaped, straiolu, subacute, suhentire, nearly naked aliove, 

 bluish-white, and below silky. 



The catkins are cylindrical, oblony, with spoon-shaped scales. The 

 ovary is egg-shaped, stalked, smooth, or even silky. The anthers 

 becoming black at length, are at first golden. 



The plant is 2 ft. high. It llovvers in May. 

 Willow is deciduous, propa- 

 gated by seeds. 



The flowers are unisexual ; 

 the plant being dioecious, j^ol- 

 linated by the wind, and also 

 adapted to the visit of bees, 

 which cause cro.ss-pollination. 

 Creeping Willow is visited by 

 the Honey-bee, Boinhiis ter- 

 reslris, Andrena, Tenthredi- 

 nidse, Dolcrits, Diptera, Bodi- 

 by'liits, Myopa, Lepidoptera, 

 Vanessa. The honey is half- 

 concealed and abundant. 



The seeds are fringed 

 with hairs, which assist in 

 dispersing them by the wind. 



This Willow is a humus- 

 loving plant, and requires a 

 peat soil or humus soil. 



A fungus, JMelampsora 

 repentis, attacks the Crcep- 

 inor Willow. 



Several Lepidoptera are found upon it. Tortyix viburnana^ 

 diuncfana, Gelechia lentiginosella, Lithocollctis quinqtie^tiiiata. 



The second Latin name refers to its creeping habit. 



Essential Specific Characters: — 



286. Salix repeiis, L. — Shrub, straggly, branches upright, leaves 

 lanceolate, with recurved margin, glaucous, silky below, catkins sessile, 

 style short. 



T. 



