414 



THE NATURE BOOK 



In the Grey Willow they are lighter in adapt these trees to this manner of 

 colour. The leaf tip often takes the form growth under cultivation, they are often 

 of a funny little projection, to which a so found among the Osiers. This is par- 



decided twist has been given. 

 The leaf margins are slightly 

 scalloped. Stipules are large 

 and persistent, especially so on 

 the Eared Willow. The catkin 

 buds open, showing their silvery 

 silken tips. These are fully ma- 

 tured before the leaves appear. 

 The pollen-bearing catkins are 

 more or less globular in shape, 

 very conspicuous and abundant, 

 arraying the whole tree on which 

 they are borne in a canopy of 

 gold. They have great wealth 

 of pollen, in which the bees 

 luxuriate, and which they col- 

 lect for bee bread. The fruit- 

 producing catkins, on distinct 

 trees, are more cylindrical in 

 shape, and green to silvery in 

 colour. Both kinds of flower 

 supply abundant nectar. There 

 is no question here as to the 

 agency by which the pollen is 

 chiefly conveyed from tree to 

 tree, from flower to flower. In 

 their season the Sallows hum 

 like a bee-hive, so lavishly is the 

 banquet spread, so gratefully 

 appreciated after the long win- 

 ter's scarcity. With the flower- 

 ing of the Sallows the hive's 

 activities fully commence. By 

 about the time the leaves have 

 fully matured the fruiting cat- 

 kins become masses of fluff, and 

 the SaUow — tree, bush, or hedge 

 — is whitened as though snow 

 had fallen. The cottony seeds 

 are borne by the wind far and 

 wide. 



THE OSIURS 



The characteristic growth of 

 the Osiers is that of long slender 

 branches, rising from a stool at 

 the ground level, to form a 

 spreading bush. By natural pre- 

 ference there are only two of our 

 Willows with this habit, the Osier 

 and the Purple Willow. But since the long 

 slender growth of the young shoots of 

 many of the Willows, as seen especially 

 when trees have been freshly pollarded, 



a 



SALLOW TWIG, 



SHOWING LEAF 



AND FLOWER 



BUDS. 



RESTING BUD 



(Enlarged) 



their 



ticularly the case with the White 

 Willow and its varieties, one of 

 which, the Golden Willow, is 

 very noticeable from the rich 

 golden and deep orange colour 

 of its stems and twigs. 



The leaves of the Osier are 

 very narrow and long, the mar- 

 gins being almost parallel for 

 some distance, though incHned 

 to be wavy. They are pointed 

 at both ends. They have silky 

 hairs on the under surface, which 

 lie close down, in a direction 

 parallel to the secondary veins. 

 The silky hairs on the leaves of 

 the White Willow, in distinction, 

 are parallel to the midrib. The 

 flower catkins of the Osier appear 

 before the leaves. 



The leaves of the Purple Wil- 

 low are also narrow and moder- 

 ately long, generally without 

 hairs, or with very few. A dis- 

 tinguishing fact with this Willow 

 is that its buds, and therefore 

 its leaves, show a decided 

 tendency to grow in nearly 

 opposite pairs on the twigs, espe- 

 cially towards the tips, and in 

 this respect it departs from the 

 spiral arrangement adopted by 

 all others of the Willow tribe. 

 The stems deepen in colour to a 

 rich purple, as do the buds also, 

 hence the name given to this 

 Willow. As before stated, the 

 pollen bearing flowers have their 

 two stamens united, but with 

 the full complement of pollen 

 bags. Flowers appear before the 

 leaves. 



THE DWARF WILLOWS 



These, being Arctic plants, are 

 only found in elevated situations, 

 most of them on the mountains of 

 Scotland, and some on those onty 

 f)f the extreme north, where they 

 find conditions most suitable to 

 requirements. Their stems usually 

 trail along the ground, rooting as they go, 

 and putting up erect lateral shoots. One 

 of them known as the Least Willow and 



