488 SALIX 



shoots in April, -\ to I in. long, slender ; stamens solitary, but with two 

 anthers. 



Native of Britain, and reaching eastwards through Europe to Central 

 Asia. It is a variable species, and is remarkable in having many of its 

 leaves opposite as well as alternate. The bark is as bitter as quinine, and 

 very rich in salicine. The twigs are very supple and tough, and much used 

 in the manufacture of fine basketwork. The osiers known as "Red-bud," 

 " Dicks," " Kecks," and " Welch '" belong to this species. As a garden shrub 

 it is worth growing for the sake of its loose, elegant growth and the vivid 

 blue-white of the under-surface of the leaves. It thrives in dryish ground 

 better than most willows. 



Var. LAMBERTIANA, Andersson. Boyton Willow. A variety distinguished 

 by its larger leaves (up to 4 ins. long and f in. broad) ; distinctly wider above 

 the middle. Catkins also larger. 



Var. PENDULA, DippeL Weeping Purple Willow. Grafted on standards 

 8 or 10 ft. high, this makes a wide-spreading head with a tangle of more or 

 less pendulous branches. Erroneously known as "American" weeping 

 willow. Var. scharfenbergensis, BoUe, does not seem to differ from 

 pendula. 



S. REPENS, Linnaus. CREEPING WILLOW. 



A low shrub of variable habit, often only I to i^ ft. high in a wild state 

 or in poor soil, but 6 or 8 ft. high in gardens ; spreading by means of 

 creeping or underground stems from which spring upright branches ; young 

 shoots silky. Leaves oblong or oval to lanceolate ; normally j to f in. long 

 and \ to \ in. wide, but in cultivation twice those dimensions ; tapered about 

 equally at both ends or more gradually towards the apex ; glistening and 

 silvery beneath, with a dense covering of silky hairs ; dull or greyish green 

 and more or less silky above, but sometimes smooth, especially late in the 

 season ; stalk T V to \ in. long. Catkins produced on the naked shoots in 

 April and May fmales \ to f in. long, roundish oval ; stamens two. 



Native of Europe (including Britain) and N. Asia. It is easily distin- 

 guished among the smaller-leaved willows by its creeping root-stock and 

 silvery under-surface. Of numerous forms the best is perhaps var. ARGENTEA, 

 Koch, which has both sides silvery grey. There is also a dense-habited 

 sturdy form with leaves about \ in. long by \ in. broad, smooth and rather 

 glossy on the upper surface, very glaucous beneath, that makes a neat bush 

 for the rock garden. But Salix repens is a shrub that is apt to overgrow 

 itself, and lose much of its beauty under cultivation. It wants a moist but 

 poor soil. It is sometimes grafted on stems of a stronger-growing willow, 

 and made into a small weeping tree ; the var. argentea is very pretty treated 

 this way, but short-lived. 



S. RETICULATA, LinncEUS. 



A low or prostrate shrub, forming large patches on the ground, but only 

 rising from it as a rule 5 or 6 ins., rarely 12 ins. ; young branches somewhat 

 angled, shining brown, and smooth except at first, when they are more or 

 less silky-hairy. Leaves mostly two to four on each twig, ^ to i^ ins. long ; 

 round, roundish oval or broadly obovate, not toothed.; slightly indented, 

 rounded, or sometimes tapered at the apex ; deep green and much wrinkled 

 above ; glaucous white, prominently net-veined and sometimes silky beneath ; 

 stalk J'.to | in. long. Catkins cylindrical, | to i in. long, produced *in May 

 and June on slender stalks I in. long, at the end of the twig opposite the 

 terminal leaf. Stamens two. 



Native of the mountains, of Europe (including the Scottish Highlands) 



