194 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 
The Crack Willow is also called the Snap Willow, 
of which a writer says it ‘‘is so brittle that every 
gale breaks off its feeble twigs.” 
SALLOw (Salix Caprea). 
Amongst the bushy or smaller willows, next to the 
Osier the Sallow is the best known. It is more 
common than the latter, being found in all parts 
of the British Isles. In the Highlands it grows at 
the height of 2000 ft. 
The Sallow is fond of woods, where it forms a sort 
of scrub, or grows interspersed with other scrub or 
bush plants. It is found not only in dry woods 
amongst oaks, but also with Alder and Willow in 
marshy ground. It is also common in wet places, 
growing by the sides of streams, rivers, lakes and 
ditches. 
The Sallow is a shrub which seldom attains the 
tree habit. It is usually 8 to to ft. in height, but 
may occasionally reach a height of 20 ft. The plant 
is usually much branched, with a few large main 
branches, the bark sage green. 
The leaves are ovate, flat, lanceolate, acute, 
crenate, reticulate, dark green above, cuspidate, with 
the margin recurved, the midrib downy, whitish 
above, cottony below. The stipules are subreniform. 
The whole plant has a silvery appearance. The 
catkins are silky, short, appearing before the leaves, 
sessile, the male being oblong, ovoid, the female 
