206 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



Xar. a, genuina. 



Plate MCCCVI. 



S. fragilis, Sm. Engl. Bot. No. 1807, and Engl. Fl. Vol. IV. p. 184. Book. Brit. Fl. 

 ed. iv.* p. 358. Lindl. Syn. Brit. Fl. p. 232. 



Branches brown, very smooth, those of the year olive or olive- 

 orange. Leaves lanceolate-elliptical. Style shorter than the stigmas. 



Var. |3, decipiens. 

 Plate MCCCVII. 



S. decipiens, Hoffm. Sm. Engl. Bot. No. 1936, and Engl. Fl. Vol. IV. p. 183. Hook. 

 Brit. Fl.ed. iv. p. 358. Lindl. Syn. Brit. Fl. p. 232. 



Branches dull-yellow, highly polished ; young twigs often orange- 

 red or crimson. Leaves elliptical, or those of the lower branches 

 oblanceolate-elliptical, smaller than those of var. a. " Style longer 

 than the stigmas." (Sm.) 



By the banks of rivers and in meadows and moist hedges and osier 

 grounds. Common, and generally distributed, but no doubt often 

 planted. Absent from the north of Scotland, and doubtfully native 

 in Ireland. Var. ^ apparently less common, and perhaps always 

 planted. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Tree. Late Spring, and early 



Summer. 



A large bushy-headed tree, with the branches set on at a consider- 

 able angle, and the young ones very readily breaking off at the base 

 when struck, especially in spring. Leaves when full-grown 4 to 

 5 inches long, by about 1 inch broad, Avith very short petioles. 

 Stipules leafy on the late shoots. Male catkins when expanded 1|- to 

 2 inches long by about J inch in diameter: anthers bright yellow. 

 Female catkins on longer stalks, much more erect, and more lax than 

 in the male, in fruit often very lax ; in flower 1 J to 2 inches long, in 

 fruit sometimes 3 inches or more. Nectary generally of two pieces, 

 both in the male and female flowers, but the outer piece much 

 smaller in the female than in the male. Capsule J inch long, greenish 

 olive. Leaves shining green above, rather paler and frequently 

 pruinose-glaucous beneath, glabrous but sometimes sparingly clothed 

 with adpressed silky hairs when young. 



Var. (6 is described as being a smaller tree, with much more polished 



* 1 quote the fourth edition of the "British Flora," as it gives a complete view of 

 Mr. Borrer's opinions on the willows at the date of its publication (1837). 



