72 BuLivETiN 145 



PUSSY OR GLAUCOUS VV1LI.0W. Sali.v discolor Muhl. 



This is the favorite pussy willow, conspicuous everywhere 

 in early spring along streams and in moist wayside thickets. All 

 of the willows have their flowers in similar catkins, but no other 

 of the early ones is so large and bright as this. The staminate, 

 or pollen-bearing catkins are bright yellow, while on other plants 

 at the same time occur the duller ones which are pistillate and 

 in May ripen the crop of downy seeds. This glaucous willow is 

 one of the largest of the shrubby- willows, often ten to twenty 

 feet high, and the branches and foliage are relatively coarse. 

 The leaves are often three to five inches long and are character- 

 ized, as explained in the key, by being bright green above and 

 glaucous or whitish beneath, whence its name. The buds also 

 are large and dark colored. Sometimes it is tree-like in habit. 



BEAKEiD WILLOW. Salix rostrata Rich. (S. Bebbiana Sarg.) 



This is closely related to the pussy willow and occurs fre- 

 quently with it but shows a preference for drier soil. It is 

 from six to eighteen feet high, does not spread from the root and 

 often has the habit of a small tree with a distinct trunk. The 

 catkins appear as distinguishing features in early spring with 

 the leaves rather than ahead of them, as with pussy willow. 

 The seed capsules are borne on long thread-like pedicels and 

 taper to an especially long slender beak, which gives the dis- 

 tinctive name. In summer after the flowers and fruit are gone 

 one must rely on the leaf characters described in the key, the 

 mature leaves being dull green above, stoutly veined and soft- 

 hairy beneath. The leaf margins vary from toothed to nearly 

 entire. The young twigs are also minutely hairy. Owing to its 

 wide soil adaptation, this species may well be used in planting 

 where a willow is desired for mass effect. 



prairie; willow. Salix humilis Marsh. 



This is the common willow of dry, sandy barrens, rarely 

 found elsewhere. It is two to eight feet high with leaves 



