CREEPING WILLOW 



117 



elliptic, lance-shaped, straight, subacute, subentire, nearly naked above, 

 bluish-white, and below silky. 



The catkins are cylindrical, oblong, with spoon-shaped scales. The 

 ovary is egg-shaped, stalked, smooth, or even silky. The anthers 

 becoming black at length, are at first golden. 



The plant is 2 ft. high. It flowers in May. The Creeping 

 Willow is deciduous, propa- 

 gated by seeds. 



The flowers are unisexual ; 

 the plant being dicecious, pol- 

 linated by the wind, and also 

 adapted to the visit of bees, 

 which cause cross-pollination. 

 Creeping Willow is visited by 

 the Honey-bee, Bombus ter- 

 restris, Andrena, Tenthredi- 

 nidae, Dolems, Diptera, Bom- 

 bylius, Myopa, Lepidoptera, 

 Vanessa. The honey is half- 

 concealed and abundant. 



The seeds are fringed 

 with hairs, which assist in 

 dispersing them by the wind. 



This Willow is a humus- 

 loving plant, and requires a 

 peat soil or humus soil. 



A fungus, Melampsora 

 repentis, attacks the Creep- 

 ing Willow. 



Several Lepidoptera are found upon it. Tortrix viburnana, T. 

 dumetana, Gelechia lentiginosella, Lithocolletis quinqueguttata. 



The second Latin name refers to its creeping habit. 



ESSENTIAL SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: 



286. Salix repens, L. Shrub, straggly, branches upright, leaves 

 lanceolate, with recurved margin, glaucous, silky below, catkins sessile, 

 style short. 



Photo. Dr. Somerville Hastings 



CREEPING WILLOW (Salix repens, L.) 



