. /.] PLANTATIONS OF OSIERS. 559 



long, from three to four inches, bright green on both 

 sides, and serrated. The trivial name rubra is not ap- 

 posite ; but it has been retained by Dr Smith in his 

 excellent Flora Britannica. 



The Basket Osier, emphatically so called by Dr 

 Smith in his Flora Britannica, is perhaps the very best 

 willow for the finer sorts of basket-work. It is not, 

 however, much known in Scotland, though a native ; 

 but it well deserves attention. The wands are of a 

 yellowish ash colour, sometimes purplish ; smooth, very- 

 flexible and tough. The leaves are alternate, on foot- 

 stalks, from two to three inches long, somewhat serrat- 

 ed, chiefly towards the top ; dark green above, and 

 glaucous or pale bluish beneath. This species is de- 

 scribed in Dr Martyn's edition of Miller's Gardener's 

 Dictionary, under the name of Salixjissa : in the Flora 

 Britannica it is named S. For by ana, in honour of the 

 Rev. Mr Forby of Norfolk. 



The Long-leaved triaridrous Willow (S. triandra^) is 

 common in osier beds, and its stools afford most excel- 

 lent shoots for basket-work, long, slender, pliable and 

 tough ; they are smooth, of a brownish colour, and 

 towards the top they are fluted or grooved. The leaves 

 are long, and closely and strongly serrated. When 

 permitted to grow up, this species attains the size of a 

 tree, and the male flowers or catkins are very orna- 

 mental in April and May. 



The Almond-leaved Willow ( amygdalina,} is like 

 the preceding, but is readily distinguished by its leaves 

 being .broader, so as to resemble those of the almond- 

 tree. This species forms but an indifferent osier, 

 though it is often used, particularly in the north and 

 west of Scotland, where it is frequent as a native. 



The Long-leaved Sallow (S. acuminata\ produces 



numerous 



