490 SALIX 



osiers known in the trade as " Mavvdesley's Long Skein " and " Tulip Willow" 

 belong to it. 



Var. FORBYANA, Smith. A form of rubra (one of whose parents is 

 probably S. purpurea var. Lambertiana), with wider leaves than ordinary 

 S. rubra ; it is known in the osier trade as " Fine Basket Osier." 



S. SALAMONI, Hort. 



(S. babylonica var. Salamoni, Hort.*) 



A hybrid between S. alba and S. babylonica, and one of the handsomest 

 and most vigorous of all willows. It is not so weeping as babylonica, having 

 inherited some of the firmer outlines of S. alba, but is still extremely graceful. 

 It grows at least 60 ft. high, forming a broad shapely head of luxuriantly leafy 

 branches ; twigs silky when young. Leaves 2^ to 5 ins. long, ^ to ^ in. wide ; 

 green above, blue-white beneath ; silky beneath on first expanding and 

 slightly so above, but not so much so as S. alba, and soon becoming as smooth 

 as those of S. babylonica. It is a female tree, its flowers opening in April. 

 The tree has been cultivated at Kew for forty years, and several fine specimens 

 grow on the margins of the lake there. It first appeared on the property of 

 Baron de Salamon at Manosque, Basses -Alpes, about fifty years ago. It 

 deserves to be planted extensively, especially in localities too cold for S. baby- 

 lonica. It retains most of its leaves until December. (See plate, vol. i., p. 98.) 



The three Willows named S. ELEGANTISSIMA, K. Koch, S. BLANDA, 

 Andersson, and S. PENDULINA, Wender, are hybrids between fragilis and 

 babylonica. They are all intermediate in various degrees between the 

 parents, having broader, usually deeper more glossy green leaves than 

 babylonica. S. elegantissima is the tree often grown as S. babylonica on 

 the Continent, in places where the real tree is not hardy. They are all 

 beautiful trees, worthy, along with S. Salamoni, of attention especially in 

 the more inclement parts of Britain. 



A few words may here be given to the various willows that have been 

 called " S. japonica." The true S. JAPONICA, Thunberg, is a willow with 

 leaves that are oval-lanceolate, often rounded or heart-shaped at the base, 

 very coarsely toothed except at the long, slender point, I to 3 ins. long, to 

 i in. wide. The toothing I think would distinguish it from all the other 

 willows in cultivation, but it does not appear to exist in this country. What 

 is grown under the name, also as " S. japonica var. Lavallei," appears to be a 

 hybrid between S. babylonica and S. alba, and has thus the same origin as 

 S. Salamoni, but it is a male and its branching is more slender. S. japonica 

 of Dippel is the same as S. Pierotii (q.v.}. 



S. SILESIACA, Willdenow. SlLP:SIAN WILLOW. 



One of the same group as cinerea, Caprea, and aurita, to the two former 

 of which especially it has much affinity. It is a shrub up to 6 ft. or so high, 

 the young shoots loosely downy at first, becoming smooth by the end of the 

 season, thus differing from cinerea, which retains its down through the 

 second year. Leaves obovate or oval, i^ to 4 ins. long, about half as wide ; 

 downy when young, becoming smooth above and nearly so below ; stalk to 

 v? in. long. From both cinerea and Caprea it differs in its smooth ovary. 

 Flowers in April. Native of Europe. Of little garden interest. 



S. SMITHIANA, Willdenow. 



A hybrid between S. viminalis and S. Caprea, or one of its group. 

 Several slightly differing willows, probably of not identical parentage, have 



