Handbook of Trees of the Xoktiii:i;x Siates and Ca 



81 



The Shining Willow is a small tree attain- 

 ing the height of 2'i ft. with a short trunk 

 rarely 10 or 12 in. in diameter, but it is more 

 often shrubby than arborescent in habit of 

 growth. Its branches grow upright and out- 

 ward forming a rather broad rounded top. II 

 inhabits the banks of streams, lake-shores and 

 swamps in company with the Glaucous and 

 other Willows, Alders, etc. among which its 

 shining bright green leaves may be quickly dis- 

 tinguished. It is a spefies of quite wide dis- 

 tribution and greater abundance in the north- 

 ern part of its range than to the southward. 

 Economically the species is of little import- 

 ance, though its conspicuous Howering aments 

 in early spring, and later its clean glistening 

 foliage, give it value for planting in suitable 

 localities for ornamental purposes. 



Leaves involute in tlie bud, lanceolate to ovate- 

 lanceolate, wedge-shaped or rounded at base, 

 mostly long-acuminate, finely serrate, 2-6 in. long, 

 coriaceous, covered with scattered pubescence when 

 they unfold but finally glabrous, lustrous dark 

 green above, slightly paler and with broad yellow- 

 ish midribs beneath : petioles stout, puberulous. 

 glandular at apex ; stipules small oblong or semi- 

 cordate, glandular-serrate. Flowers aments termi- 

 nating stout lateral leafy branchlets. erect, with 

 thick tomentose peduncles ; scales pale yellow, 

 rounded at apex, denticulate, glabrous above : the 

 staminate short, stout and densely flowered ; 

 stamens usually ~> with long free filaments, hairy 

 at base ; pistillate ament more slender with elon- 

 gated long-stalked glabrous ovary and nearly ses- 

 sile emarginate stigma. Fruit capsule long ovoid, 

 acute, much longer than the pedicel, lustrous and 

 often long persistent after liberating the seeds. 





