THE WILLOWS. 



113 



characteristic of the leaf of this tree is the conspic- 

 uous little leafy formation (called a stipule) at the 

 junction of the leaf stem with the branclilet ; this is 

 always present. The leaf is green on either side, 

 scarcely paler but downy beneath, and finely tool I 

 The heart-leaved willow grows from 8 to 20 feet 

 high, and is very common in low and wet places. 



Long-leaved Willow. The l°ng-leaved 

 SaHx longifolia. willow is easily 



ISalix fluviatilis. • i i 



J recognized by 



its extremely narrow, long leaf, 

 which tapers at each end and is 

 rather coarsely toothed. It is 

 often a shrub, but occasionally, 

 when favored by circumstances, 

 it attains a height of 20 feet. 



This species is common west- 

 ward, but rare along the Atlantic 

 coast from Maine to the Potomac 

 River, Virginia. 



Crack Willow. One of our larg- 



Salixfragilis. est w iH ws — the 



crack willow — came to us from Europe, and was 

 planted at an early date in the vicinity of Boston, in 

 some of the older cities and towns of New Hampshire, 

 and elsewhere in the North. It has since become ex- 

 tensively naturalized. Its twigs are largely used in 

 9 



Long leaved Willow. 



