482 SALTX 



S. GRACILISTVLA, Miquel. 

 (S. mutabilis, Hort.) 



A bush of a low, spreading habit, probably not more than 6 ft. high ; 

 young shoots covered with grey down. Leaves oblong, oval, or narrowly 

 ovate, tapered somewhat abruptly at both ends ; 2 to 4 ins. long, | to i^ ins. 

 wide ; indistinctly toothed except towards the base ; grey-green above, and 

 at first covered with appressed silky hairs which afterwards fall away except 

 on the midrib ; rather glaucous and persistently silky beneath ; veins 

 numerous, conspicuous, parallel ; stalk \ to in. long ; stipules up to \ in. 

 long, persisting. Catkins produced on naked shoots in March and April ; 

 males grey suffused with red, I to i| ins. long ; stamens solitary, much longer 

 than the scale. I have not seen the female plant. 



Native of Japan and Manchuria ; introduced about 1895. It is an 

 interesting willow, perhaps not so hardy as the majority but very leafy, and 

 pretty in flower. It is distinct on account of the many-veined, characteristic 

 leaves. 



S. HASTATA, Linnaus. HALBERD-LEAVED WILLOW. 



A shrub up to 5 ft. in height ; young shoots hairy, purplish the second 

 year. Leaves of hard texture ; ovate, oval, or obovate ; tapering, rounded or 

 sometimes (on vigorous shoots) heart-shaped at the base ; always more or 

 less acutely pointed, toothed ; i to 4 ins. long, \ to 2j ins. wide ; ordinarily 

 quite smooth on both surfaces ; dull green above, glaucous beneath ; veins in 

 seven to ten pairs ; stalk \ to \ in. long ; stipules usually present, often large 

 and conspicuous, obliquely heart-shaped. Catkins produced at the end of 

 short leafy shoots in May ; males i \ ins. long, stamens two, with smooth 

 stalks ; females longer. 



Native of the mountains of Europe and N. Asia ; introduced in 

 1780. 



S. HERBACEA, Linnceus. DWARF WILLOW. 



A tiny shrub (the smallest of all British ones), reaching rarely more than 

 2 ins. above the ground (3 or 4 ins. in gardens) ; stems smooth, or slightly 

 silky when young, creeping and taking root and often buried in the soil. 

 Leaves usually only two or three at the end of the twig ; round, broadly oval 

 or obovate ; 5- to \ in. long, finely round-toothed, often notched at the apex 

 and indented at the base, glossy green on both sides and usually smooth, 

 sometimes slightly silky when young, prominently net-veined ; shortly but 

 distinctly stalked. Catkins |- to \ in. long, appearing in April on short stalks. 

 Stamens two ; seed-vessel smooth or .nearly so. 



Native of the mountains of the N. Temperate zone, including those of 

 Great Britain and Ireland. In spite of its name it is a true shrub, and makes 

 an interesting tuft for a damp spot in the alpine garden. 



S. POLARIS, Waklenberg. Polar Willow. Very similar to S. herbacea in 

 habit and shape of leaf; but distinguished by the leaves being almost 

 invariably entire and smaller on the average. The seed-vessel is also very 

 hairy. Native of Polar regions. 



S. GRAHAMII, Borrer, is regarded as a hybrid between herbacea and 

 probably phylicifolia. Its leaves are oval or obovate, tapered at the 

 base, rounded or tapered at the apex, to i in. long, bright green. 

 Native of Sutherlandshire. A low, spreading shrub up to about i ft. in 

 height. 



