206 



The Willows 



favorable conditions near the Pacific coast a height of 20 meters or more, with 



a trunk up to 7 dm. in diameter; at higher altitudes and in its eastern range it is 



much smaller, however, and on the mountains is a mere shrub, 4 meters high or less. 



Its dark brown bark is thin and rough. The young shoots are pubescent or 



puberulent, yellowish to orange, 

 becoming dark brown and 

 smooth, the winter buds 5 to 7 

 mm. long, pointed, quite densely 

 hairy or sometimes smooth or 

 nearly so. The leaves are ob- 

 lanceolate to obovate, 10 cm. long 

 or less, pointed at the apex, nar- 

 rowed toward the somewhat 

 wedge-shaped base, entire-mar- 

 gined or sparingly crenate; they 

 are hairy on both sides when 

 young, often densely hairy on the 

 under side, but when mature the 

 upper surface is dark green, 

 smooth and somewhat shining, 

 the under side much paler, per- 

 manently hairy or nearly or quite smooth; their stalks are finely hairy, 6 to 12 

 mm. long, their stipules small, often glandular-toothed and usually fall away soon 

 after they appear in the spring. The catkins flower at the time of unfolding of 

 the leaves from March to May, according to latitude and altitude; they are nearly 

 cyHndric, 2.5 to 4 cm. long, their scales whitish hairy, pointed, brownish, those 

 of the pistillate catkins persistent; the staminate flowers have 2 separate smooth 

 filaments, the pistillate ones have a pointed densely hairy stalked ovary with a 

 short style, which ripens into a narrowly ovoid-conic beaked capsule about 8 mm. 

 long. 



The tree is planted for ornament on the Pacific coast. Its wood is soft and 

 light, reddish brown, with a specific gravity of about 0.50, and is used for fuel, 

 charcoal, and tool-handles. 



Fig. 169. Scouler's Willow. 



30. FELT-LEAF WILLOW Salix alaxensis (Andersson) Coville 

 Salix speciosa Hooker and Arnott, not Host. Salix speciosa alaxensis Andersson 



The Felt-leaf willow, so called from the felty white covering of its under leaf- 

 surfaces, grows only in Alaska and eastern Siberia and is largest and most abundant 

 near the coasts, attaining a maximum height of about 10 meters, with a tnmk up 

 to 1.5 dm. in diameter or more. It is often shrubby, however, sometimes flowering 

 when not over a meter high. 



The young twigs are ver}' densely white-hairy, stout, becoming smooth or nearly 



