IQO 



The Willows 



The Shining willow grows rapidly in wet places and is very desirable for orna- 

 mental planting in such situations. 



9. WESTERN BLACK WILLOW Salix lasiandra Ben ham 



Salix pentandra caudata Nuttall. Salix Fendleriana Andersson 



This is the largest of the West American willows, sometimes attaining a height 



of 20 meters or more, with a tmnl. a meter in 

 diameter, though it is usually muct smaller, and 

 sometimes shrubby. It grows ulong streams 

 and lakes from British Columbii to southern 

 California, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and 

 New Mexico. 



The rough and thick fissured bark is dark 

 brown; the young twigs are usually hairy, yel- 

 lowish or reddish brown, becoming darker brown 

 or purpHsh; the winter buds are ovoid, pointed, 

 5 to 6 mm. long. The leaves var}^ from lan- 

 ceolate to oblong-lanceolate, or sometimes widest 

 a Httle above the middle, and from 7 to 15 cm. 

 long by I to 2.5 cm. in width; they are pointed 

 at the apex, often long-pointed, sometimes 

 slightly scythe-shaped, mostly narrowed at the 

 base, finely glandular- toothed, dark green and 

 shining on the upper side, paler green beneath, 

 hairy when unfolding but smooth on both sides 

 when fully grown, or rarely remaining some- 

 what hairy on the under side; their stalks are 12 mm. long or less, smooth or 

 hairy and usually bear one or more sessile glands at the base of the blade; the 

 stipules are glandular-toothed, and usually fall away early. The catkins appear 

 in May or June on short leafy branchlcts of the season ; they are from 3 to 6 cm. 

 long, their bracts obovate or oblanceolate, hairy toward the base, glandular- 

 toothed, at least toward the apex; there are from 5 to 9 stamens in the staminate 

 flowers; the ovar}' in the pistillate flowers is narrowly ovoid-conic, with nearly 

 sessile notched stigmas. The fruiting catkins are 4.5 to 6 cm. long, the smooth, 

 ovoid-conic capsule 5 to 6 mm. long, its stalk 1.5 to 2 mm. long. 



The wood is soft and weak, light brown, its specific gravity about 0.46; it 

 is used to some extent for veneering and for charcoal; also for baskets and for 

 fuel. 



Fig. 148. Western Black Willow. 



