SALIX 



. 



Salix, Linnaeus, Sp. PI. 1015 (1753); Forbes, Salic. Woburn., 1-294 (1829); Andersson, Monog. 

 Salic. 1-180 (1863), and in De Candolle, Prod. xvi. 2, p. 191 (1868); Bentham et Hooker, 

 Gen. PI. iii. 411 (1880); Buchanan White, in/ourn. Linn. Soc. (Bot.) xxvii. 333-457 (1890); 

 Camus, Sautes d 'Europe, 9-40 (1904); Schneider, Laubhohkunde, i. 23 (1904). 



Trees or shrubs, with scaly bark, and slender terete branchlets, which are often 

 easily separated at the joints. True terminal buds are not developed, 1 the top of the 

 branchlet dying off in summer, and leaving a minute scar close to the uppermost 

 axillary bud, which prolongs the branch in the following season ; buds apparently 

 covered by one scale, which is composed of two scale-like leaves fused together, as 

 indicated by their keeled margins. Leaves deciduous, 2 alternate, rarely sub-opposite, 

 simple, variable in shape, penni-nerved, stalked ; stipules oblique, serrate, either small 

 and early deciduous, or large, leafy, and persistent, often conspicuous on barren vigor- 

 ous young branches. On branches from which the leaves have fallen the leaf-scars 

 are crescentic and 3-dotted, and accompanied on each side by a minute stipular scar. 



Flowers, appearing in some species before the leaves, in others after the leaves, 

 dioecious, in catkins, each of which terminates a short shoot, and bears numerous 

 flowers on a slender axis ; each flower, with one or two honey-glands, placed front 

 and back at its base, and subtended by a scale, which is usually entire in margin. 

 Staminate flowers, with two or three to twelve stamens, inserted on the base of 

 the scale, with slender filaments, free or more or less connate, and two-celled anthers 

 opening longitudinally. Pistillate flowers ; ovary free, stalked or sessile, one-celled, 

 with four to eight ovules on each of the two placentae ; crowned by a style, which 

 is often extremely short or obsolete, with two stigmas, which are either entire 

 or bifid. Fruit, an acuminate capsule, separating when ripe into two recurved 

 valves. Seeds minute, narrowed at the ends, dark brown or nearly black, furnished 

 with long silky hairs. 



About 160 species of Salix are known, distributed from the Arctic regions 

 southwards to the Andes of Chile in the New World, and to South Africa, Mada- 

 gascar, Himalayas, Burma, Malay Peninsula, Java, and Sumatra in the Old World. 

 Most of the species are shrubs or small trees ; and in the following account we 

 have only dealt with the few species in cultivation which attain a large size, including 

 S. Caprea, on account of its interest to foresters. These may be distinguished as 

 follows : 



1 However, in Chamatia, Dumortier, in Bijdr. Natuurk. Wetensch. i. 56 (1826), which includes Arctic and Alpine 

 under-shrubs, like S. reticulata, Linnceus, there are true terminal buds, giving rise to catkins in the following year. The 

 species of this section in some respects are intermediate between Salix and Populus. 



! S. Bonplandiana, II. B. K., a native of Mexico, is said to have persistent leaves. Cf. Dode, in Bull, Soc. Vend. France, 

 1909, p. 151. 



1743 



