WHITE WILLOW: BAY WILLOW 211 



always 2, however, but occasionally 3 5. Catkins con- 

 taining both (/ and $ flowers occur abnormally.] 



-h -^ The $ flower has two glands, the $ 

 only one. Ovary sessile. Leaves 

 silky ; petiole glandtdar. 



^alix alba, L. White Willow (Fig. 60). A large tree, 

 like S. fragilis, and not always easy to distinguish from 

 it ; but the twigs and lanceolate leaves are silky, and the 

 former not brittle at the joints. 



Catkins numerous, sub-sessile, on short, leafy laterals 

 of the preceding year's shoots, cylindroid, slender and 

 often curved; the ^ 45 x 0-8 1-2 cm., the $ 56 x 0-6 

 0"8 cm. or thereabouts. Scales greenish-yellow, white 

 silky above, as is also the rachis ; those of $ caducous. 

 Glands two, anterior and posterior. Stamens 2, free, hairy ; 

 anthers yellow. Two glands at the base of the flower, 

 Ovary sessile, conoid, smooth, with a short style and short 

 bifid stigmas. There may be one gland only at base of 

 the ovary. Capsule ovoid-conic, sessile or sub-sessile on 

 a pedicel shorter than the gland. 



[^Salix vitellina, an Osier form with golden-yellow 

 twigs, is a well-marked variety. S. Russelliana, Sm., the 

 Huntingdon Willow, is probably a hybrid between S. alba 

 and 8. fragilis; and 8. Babylonica, L., the Weeping 

 Willow, from Asia, is allied (see p. 209) ; its catkins 

 occasionally bear both </ and $ flowers.] 



^% Stamens 5, or sometimes more. Ovary 

 shortly pedicellate. Each flower with 

 two glands. Leaves laurel-like and 

 with petiolar glands. 



Salix pentandra, L. Bay Willow (Fig. 59). A shrub 

 or small tree, with broad leaves. 



142 



