486 SALIX 



long fine point, finely and regularly toothed ; 3 to 5 ins. long, J to f in. 

 wide ; palish green, and almost or quite smooth on both sides except on the 

 midrib ; stalk to in. long, downy ; stipules often large, semi-heartshaped 

 and persistent. Catkins produced on short downy shoots, furnished with 

 small leaves in April ; i to 3 ins. long, slender; stamens three to five. 



Native of N. America, where it is widely spread; introduced in 1811. 

 It is the largest of the East American willows, but is there rather a huge 

 bush than a tree. Sargent says it is occasionally 120 ft. high in S. Indiana 

 and Texas. It is not so elegant a tree in this country as in the United 

 States, although quite hardy. It has rather the aspect of a small, densely 

 branched S. alba. 



Var. FALCATA (S. falcata, Pursti] has curved or somewhat sickle-shaped 

 leaves. 



S. NIGRICANS, Smith. 

 (S. phylicifolia var. nigricans, F. B. White.") 



A bushy shrub, 10 to 12 ft., occasionally more high ; young shoots and 

 buds more or less downy. Leaves extremely variable in outline (roundish, 

 oval, ovate, obovate, or oblanceolate), pointed at the apex, rounded or tapered 

 at the base, toothed ; i to 4 ins. long, ^ to 2 ins. wide ; more or less downy, 

 dark dull green above, bluish beneath ; stalk J to | in. long. Male catkins 

 | to i j ins. long, ^ to in. wide, produced in April on a short stalk furnished 

 with a few small bracts ; stamens two, more than twice as long as the silky 

 scale ; female catkins more slender ; ovary downy. 



Native of Europe, including Britain, represented in gardens at different 

 times by an extraordinary number of forms, varying in the shape and size 

 of the leaves. Many of these were figured by Forbes in the Salutum 

 Woburnense, but have little interest. The species is, indeed, one of the 

 dullest and most uninteresting of hardy shrubs, and is not worth a place in 

 the garden proper. It is seen in the seedling state oftener than most willows. 

 Some botanists do not consider S. nigricans and S. phylicifolia as specifically 

 distinct from each other ; S. nigricans can usually be distinguished by its 

 thinner, larger, duller green, more downy leaves, which mostly turn black 

 in drying. 



S. PENTANDRA, Linnaus. BAY WILLOW. 



A tree 20 to 50 ft. high in gardens, often a shrub in a wild state ; twigs 

 shining, brownish green, smooth ; buds yellow. Leaves ovate to oval, rounded 

 or slightly heart-shaped at the base, rather abruptly narrowed at the apex to 

 a slender point, finely glandular toothed ; \\ to 4^ ins. long, f to 2 ins. wide ; 

 smooth, dark polished green above, dull and paler beneath ; midrib yellow ; 

 stalk J to f in. long, glandular near the blade. Male catkins cylindrical, 

 about \\ ins. long ; female catkins rather longer, both produced on leafy 

 shoots in late May. Stamens five or more ; seed-vessels smooth, slightly 

 stalked. 



Native of Europe (including Britain) and N. Asia. One of the handsomest 

 of all willows in the brilliant green of its large, broad leaves, resembling those 

 of a bay laurel. In high latitudes it is a shrub, but in moist good soil it 

 becomes a goodly sized tree. There is one at Kew 50 ft. high and 7 ft. 8 ins. 

 in girth of trunk. The leaves are fragrant when crushed. 



S. PETIOLARIS, Smith. 



A shrub 6 ft. or more high, with slender twigs which are slightly silky 

 when young, soon becoming smooth and, later on, deep purple. Leaves 



