356 ] Trees and How to Know Them 



tions from branches or twigs and can be used to fashion a variety 

 of whistles. 



The wood of the willows has a few practical uses but most mem- 

 bers of this group, especially the weeping willow (an import from 

 Asia), are mostly valued for their grace and beauty. 



The Pussy Willow Children's Favorite: The pussy willow, a great 

 joy to children, is related to the weeping willow though they differ 

 considerably in size. The pussy willow rarely reaches a height of 

 twenty feet. Its prominent soft pussies are welcomed as one of the 

 first promises of spring and enjoyed for their silky "fur" as much in 

 florists' shops as in their natural setting. 



Willow Seeds and Pollen: There are quite a few other species of 

 varying sizes and characteristics, but they all have the distinctive 

 elongated catkins (scaly spikes), and our American willows bear 

 long narrow leaves that turn yellow in the fall. In each species the 

 seed-bearing flowers and the pollen-bearing flowers are produced 

 on separate trees. 



The showy pussies are pollen-bearing flowers. In winter they 

 are covered by a shiny brown tentlike bract. When these open you 

 can see two stamens and anthers (the pollen bearers) underneath 

 each fur-bordered scale. But you will find no pistils. 



On another tree, however, you may discover greenish-gray cat- 

 kins, similar to the ones just described, but not so soft and furry. 

 In these, each fringed scale has a pistil at its base, and projecting 

 from it is a Y-shaped stigma that is fertilized by the pollen and 

 produces the seed. You can observe the process closely by keeping 

 a few in water until the catkins open. 



At the base of both kinds of flowers are small glands of nectar. 

 Bees make their way to these, and as they do they carry pollen to 

 the pistils. Wind also plays a role in the pollination project. When 

 the willow seeds ripen in June, you find the catkins made up of 

 tiny pods. When the seeds pop open, they are equipped with fuzz 

 and fly away, balloon-fashion. A frequent comment is, "The 

 willows are shedding cotton." 



