476 SALIX 



smooth or (more rarely) silky. Leaves oval, obovate, or sometimes approach- 

 ing lanceolate, tapered at both ends, toothed or entire ; to 2 ins. long, 

 i to f in. wide ; deep green above, usually glaucous or grey beneath ; stalk 

 1*2 to J in. long. Catkins slender, produced in May at the end of short 

 leafy shoots ; males about i in. long, females rather longer ; stamens 

 two. 



Native of Europe and Siberia, inhabiting high latitudes and mountains, 

 including those of Scotland. It is a variable shrub, most nearly allied to 

 phylicifolia, but differs in all its forms from that species in having the stalk 

 of the ovary much shorter than the gland or nectary (in phylicifolia the 

 ovary stalk is always the longer). Two chief varieties of S. Arbuscula have 

 been distinguished, viz. var. ERECTA, Andersson, the erect-growing dense- 

 habited shrub ; and var. HUMILIS, Andersson, the low spreading one. In 

 general aspect it resembles S. Myrsinites, but that species has the leaves 

 bright green on both sides. 



S. AURITA, Linnceus. ROUND-EARED WILLOW. 



A shrub varying in height from I to 6 or 7 ft., according to soil and 

 situation ; young twigs slender, at first very downy, becoming smooth the 

 second year. Leaves obovate, blunt or pointed at the apex, tapered at the 

 base ; i to 2 ins. long, ^ to ij ins. wide ; rather indefinitely toothed ; the 

 upper surface dull dark green, wrinkled, and more or less woolly ; lower 

 surface covered with a permanent dull grey wool ; stalk i to ^ in. long ; 

 stipules conspicuous on vigorous shoots, and mostly persisting till the fall 

 of the leaf. Catkins produced on the naked shoots in April ; male catkins 

 stalkless, \ to f in. long ; stamens two, hairy towards the base. 



Native of Europe (including Britain) and N. Asia. It belongsUo the 

 same group as S. Caprea and cinerea, from the former of which it differs in 

 being a more bushy plant with smaller, more wrinkled leaves and smaller 

 catkins. It is not so easily distinguished from S. cinerea, but has the year-old 

 twigs smooth (in cinerea they remain downy). S. aurita has hybridised with 

 numerous other species. 



S. BABYLONICA, LinncEus. WEEPING WILLOW. 



(S. pendula, Manch ; S. Napoleonis, Schullz.') 



A tree usually 30 to 50 ft. high, the rugged trunk branching low and 

 supporting a wide-spreading head of branches, the very slender, smooth, 

 terminal twigs of which hang down perpendicularly. Leaves lance-shaped, 

 with long, slender points, finely toothed'; 3 to 4 ins. long, about ^ in. wide ; 

 .dark green above, blue-grey beneath, smooth on both surfaces except when 

 quite young ; stalk about J in. long, minutely downy. Catkins slender, the 

 females 2 ins. long, males rather shorter, produced in April along with the 

 young leaves. Stamens two. 



Native of China, in the western provinces of which it has lately been 

 seen abundant in a wild state by Mr Wilson. It is not native of the region 

 of the Euphrates, as the name babylonica would indicate, but has no doubt 

 been cultivated in E. Europe, N. Africa, and W. Asia from an early period. 

 The words of the Psalmist (cxxxvii. i, 2) : "By the rivers of Babylon, there 

 we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our 

 harps upon the willows in the midst "thereof," do not, as is generally believed, 

 Tefer to Salix babylonica, but to a poplar POPULUS EUPHRATICA, Olivier. 



The weeping willow was probably first introduced to W. Europe by the 



