126. 8AL1CACE.E, [1. Salix. 



25. F. macrophylla, Roxb. Syn. F. Roxburghii, Wall. ; Kota, M. ; 

 Qara-sosokera, Kol. 



A handsome low spreading tree with very large broadly ovate or 

 elliptic -ovate cordate-based leaves 8" by 5" to 18" by 12", more or less 

 repand-toothed or coarsely serrate (sometimes entire in cultivated 

 plants) glabi-escent above, shortly softly pubescent beneath. Petiole 

 1-4" stout. Recepts pyriform, 2-2-5" diam. on peduncles 2-3" long 

 clustered on cauline knobs and short lateral leafless branches. 



Along- stream.s. Aljove 1500 ft. in the Saranda Forests and on the Porahat 

 plateau ! Kochang-, Wood, Gamble ! Angul ! Sambalpur, rare ! 



Dark brown. Branchlets hollow or with large pith, young pubescent. L. with 

 5-7-nerved base, sec. n. 5-7 high up on mid-rib and extending to margin where they 

 enter the teeth, tertiaries mostly scalariform fine but prominent. Stipules 1". 

 Peduncles pubescent bracteate at their apex, base of recept produced into a stipes 

 or not (the stipes is '5' long in some specimens). M. fl. tepals large inflated, 

 stamens 2-3. Gall and fern, with 2-3-lobed perianth. Achene granulate, viscid, 

 style long lateral curved, hairy, stigma tubular. 



The fruit is eaten. Leaves said to be a good fodder. 



FAM. 126. SALICACE^. 



Trees or shrubs, nearly always dioecious. Buds perulate. Leaves 

 alternate simple, stipulate. Flowers in close bracteate spikes (catkins), 

 one to each bract, ebracteolate. Perianth or rudimentary ; a 

 median scale, scales or glands or a cupular or annular organ (disc or 

 rudimentary perianth) present. Stamens 2 or more with free or 

 connate filaments. Ovary of 2, rarely 3 connate carpels, 1 -celled with 

 parietal placentation. Ovules usually many, erect, anatropous on 

 the lower part of the placenta. Fruit capsular, 2-4-valved. Seeds 

 few or many, small, exalbiiminous, with thin testa and a basilar 

 pencil of hairs. Embryo straight, cotyledons plano-convex, radicle 

 short inferior. 



1. SALIX, L. Willow. 



Leaves usually narrow. Disc or perianth of 1-2 separate glands 

 or scales. Stamens usually few (up to 10 in our species, which is 

 unusual). Bracts entire. 



1. S. tetrasperma, Roxb. Xachal, A'. ; Gada-sigric', S. ; Chiur, 

 Kharw. ; Bes, H. 



A tree or in one form a shrub, Avith silkily pubescent shoots, lanceo- 

 late or oblanceolate to ovate-lanceolate acuminate leaves sparsely 

 hairy or glabrescent and pale glaucous beneath. Catkins terminating 

 the short lateral shoots, 1-5-4" long, pubescent. Disc glands very 

 broad fleshy. 



Along rivers and streams, apparently in all districts, but noAvhere very common. 

 Champaran, attainiTig 6 ft. girth in Ra'mnagar ! Purneah ! MonghjT ! Santal Par. ! 

 All districts of Chota Nagpur ! Athmalilc (Orissa) ! 



Fl. Oct. usually, sometimes however in Feb. or May and fruits ripen soon after. 

 It is leafless shortly before flowering and flowers at the ends of the new lateral 

 shoots. 



There are two distinct forms in our province (see below) agreeing in the large 

 glands, male-glands anterior nearly as long as the ovate to obovate or spathulate, 



839 



