Leaves Alternate. 83 



Fig. 43. Crack Willow. \_S.f ragilis, Z.] 



Leaves, SIMPLE ; ALTERNATE ; EDGE STRONGLY AND SOME- 

 WHAT UNEVENLY TOOTHED, the teeth thickened and 

 their points slightly incurved, so as to appear some- 

 what blunted. 



Outline, narrow lance-shape. Apex, taper-pointed. Base, 

 taper-pointed. 



Leaf-stem, smooth, with two small warts on the upper side 

 near the base of the leaf. 



Leaf, about five or six inches long, about seven eighths 

 of an inch wide ; dark and smooth above ; lighter 

 and smooth below (slightly silky when young). 



Branches, smooth, shining, and greenish ; very brittle at 

 the base, cracking off almost " at a touch." 



Introduced, from Europe. 



A tree sometimes sixty to eighty feet high, with a 

 bushy head and irregular branches. Its withes are used 

 for basket-work. 



" The greene willow boughes with the leaves may very 

 well be brought into chambers and set about the beds of 

 those that be sicke of agues, for they do mightily coole 

 the heate of the aire, which thing is a wonderfull refresh- 

 ing to the sicke patients." GERARDES' HERBAL. 



