i7 



THE WILLOWS OP OHIO. 29 



Salix discolor Muhl. Pussy Willow. 



The pussy willow is typically a swamp shrub growing in 

 clumps differing from those of S. sericea or S. cordata in that each 

 plant is usually a close clump, separated from its neighbors by a 

 distinct interval, while those species run over a considerable area 

 in a loose clump. The stems are not ordinarily recumbent but 

 strictly upright and straight. Twigs of swamp plants rank, 

 metimes almost 10 mm. in thickness varying from glossy to 

 densely tomentose, with very large well filled purple-brown buds. 

 In less luxuriant growth the twigs may be smaller, sometimes 



ily. with smaller buds. Leaves varying from ovate to spatu- 

 late, coar rate with blunt incurved teeth to entir ven 



htly revolute, glabrescent above, beneath glabrous and p 



glaucous or sometimes tomento Hair soft and 



wo m S. i hort, straight and ferruginous. 



Pussii re anthesis larger than in any o1 rid 



[uently this is the favorite species with the children in 



rch of pussies in the spring. At anthesis the staminate with 

 their long coarse filaments are larger than any other of our wil- 

 low pt 5. luci rpellab very large, sometimes 13 

 cm. in fruit, scales dark brown, capsules I - turn.). ite, 

 gray pubescent to glabrate in age, pedid nearly 

 long as the capsule but usually shorter. The flowering tim 



lier than any other of our willows and it uch ashorl time 



that it frequently happens that Salix discolor blossoms an 

 by before oni out after it a difficulty not met with in any 



other of our willow.-. When the other pussy willows are found 

 in flower it i rally in fruit so that there is little dai 



; fusing it with them. 



As described above Salix discolor includes forms differing 

 from each other very strikingly. But the longer I tudy them 

 the surer I am that, di as they are, allareone sp> The 



it differences arc all in characters like the shape, surface and 

 pubescence of the li which are subject to considerable vari- 



ation and are to a outcome of various environ- 



mei >nditioi The catkii > wiry somewhat bul 



m marked trees taken in flower and leaf 1 

 ha-, al ile to find i 1 1' 'ii 1 m ria- 



1 ion ,in !'. 



I X 



iii-r lea ' t 1 >w fi 



broad, blunt, 



1 1 1 1 5 

 n< mi . i. irm : i w( mid ] i 



:h w inter bud 

 and nt ;i little 



nan 

 I 



