WILLOW. 



WILLOW-HERB. 



makes a better figure in plantations, and the 

 roots give more solidity to the banks of rivers 

 or ditches. 



5. Common white willow (S. alba'}. This is 

 a tall tree, whose bark is thick, full of cracks, 

 useful for tanning ; and, as yielding much sali- 

 cina, good also for the cure of agues, though 

 inferior in quality to that of the true Bedford, 

 or Huntingdon willow. The bark is called 

 cortex salignum, and angliranum by some writers. 

 The branches are numerous, spreading widely, 

 silky when young. Leaves all alternate, ellip- 

 tic-lanceolate, pointed, serrated, silky on both 

 sides; the lowest serratures glandular. There 

 is a variety which is very superior in the 

 value of the wood and bark, and the rapid 

 growth as well as handsome aspect of the 

 tree, to the original species. See OSIER and 

 SALLOW. 



The willow genus contains more than 130 

 species, chiefly distributed over the northern 

 parts of Europe and America. Many of the 

 species are alpine. Only 4 have as yet been 

 found indigenous to South America, whilst in 

 North America botanists enumerate upwards 

 of 25 indigenous kinds. Some of these are 

 mere shrubs. 



The black willow (S. nigra) is the most com- 

 mon of the American willows, and the most 

 analogous to that of Europe. It is less multi- 

 plied in the Northern and Southern than in the 

 Middle and especially in the Western States. 

 It is found on the banks of the great rivers, 

 such as the Susquehanna and the Ohio, and is 

 called black willow, or simply willow. 



The black willow is rarely more than 30 or 

 35 feet high and 12 or 15 inches in diameter. 

 It divides at a small height into several diver- 

 gent but not pendentlimbs,and forms a spacious 

 summit. The leaves are long, narrow, finely 

 denticulated, of a light green, and destitute of 

 stipulae. In the uniformity of its colouring the 

 foliage of this species differs from that of the 

 European willow, the lower surface of which 

 is glaucous. 



Upon the trunk the bark is grayish and fine- 

 ly chapt; upon the roots it is of a dark brown, 

 whence may have been derived the specific 

 name of the tree. The roots afford an in- 

 tensely bitter decoction, which is considered 

 in the country as a purifier of the blood, and 

 as a preventive and a remedy for intermittent 

 fevers. 



The wood is white and soft, and the branches 

 are easily broken from the tree. Neither the 

 wood nor the twigs are applied to any useful 

 purpose. (Michaux.') 



Michaux describes two other species of Ame- 

 rican willow. One, from being found on the 

 shores of Lake Champlain, he calls Cham- 

 plain willow (S. ligustrina). It grows 20 to 25 

 feet high, with 7 or 8 inches diameter, and very 

 much resembles the black willow, except that 

 the leaves are longer and narrower. The other 

 is the shining willow (S. lurida), so called on 

 account of the brilliancy of Us foliage. This 

 Michaux found only in the Middle and North- 

 ern States. It is found in moist but open 



vered with woods, in the rivers, and near the 

 shores of the lakes. 



This species is easily distinguished by the 

 superior size of its leaves, which are oval- 

 acuminate, denticulated, and sometimes 4 inches 

 in length. 



The shining willow attains the height of 18 

 or 20 feet; but its ordinary elevation is 9 or 10 

 feet. Baskets are made of its branches, when 

 those of the European willow, which are pre- 

 ferable, cannot be obtained; but it possesses 

 no property that recommends it to attention. 



Many species of willow are found in the 

 United States and in Canada, the greater 

 part of which are susceptible of no useful em- 

 ployment. The three species described are 

 distinguished only by their superior height; 

 but even these are greatly inferior to the Eu- 

 ropean willow in size and in the properties of 

 their wood. In the Northern and Middle States, 

 particularly in Pennsylvania and in some 

 townships in the lower part of New Jersey, 

 great numbers of the European willow have 

 been planted, of which light baskets are fabri- 

 cated for the market of Philadelphia. This 

 tree furnishes the charcoal for the manufacture 

 of gunpowder. (Michau.r.) 



The common yellow willow is the S. vitellina 

 of botanists. It is also frequently called golden 

 willow, and by some egg-yolk willow. The 

 French call it Le Saule. This, says Dr. Darling- 

 ton, was early introduced here as a shade tree, 

 and has become partially naturalized in many 

 places. I think I have never seen any but the 

 pistillate plant. A variety with paler bark (per- 

 haps the S.alba, of authors) is also occasionally 

 to be met with. The handsome S. babylonica, or 

 weeping willow, is more generally preferred as 

 an ornamental shade tree, and the pistillate 

 plant of that species is extensively propagated 

 about houses, but it can hardly be said to be 

 naturalized. 



WILLOW-HERB (Epilobium,from epi, upon, 

 and lobos, a lobe ; the flowers have the appear- 

 ance of being seated on the top of the pod). 

 Many of the species of this genus are very 

 ornamental, as E. angustifolium ; while a few 

 others, such as E. montanum, are mere weeds. 

 They all grow well in any common soil, and 

 are either increased by seeds or by dividing 

 the roots. The indigenous species are nine, 

 namely, the rosebay willow-herb (E. angustifo- 

 lium'), the great hairy willow-herb (E. hirsutum), 

 the small-flowered hoary willow-herb (E.par- 

 viflorum), the broad smooth-leaved willow-herb 

 (E. montanum), pale smooth-leaved willow-herb 

 (E. roseum), square-stalked willow-herb (E. te- 

 tragonum), round-stalked marsh willow-herb 

 (E. palustre), chick weed-leaved willow-herb 

 (E. alsini folium), and the alpine willow-herb 

 (E. alpinurn). 



These are all perennial herbs, with simple, 

 generally toothed, leaves; flowers mostly pur- 

 ple, in terminal leafy clusters or spikes, with- 

 out scent. The most common of these are 



1. The rose-bay willow-herb (E. anguslifo- 

 lium), which grows wild in meadows and moist, 

 hady places, chiefly in the north of England. 



grounds, and is more common on the edges of j The root is creeping, fleshy, with numerous 

 the salt meadows than in the interior of the buds, stems from three to six feet high, erect, 

 forests; it is aUso seen on the islands, not co- ' roundish, leafy, smooth, reddish, seldom branch- 



1143 



