ORDER 122. SALICACEJE. 651 



$ Aments as long as the petioles, much shorter. Fruit large, globular. 

 (Pursh. Our specimens in flower.) Mar., Apr. 



2. COMPTO'NIA, Soland. SWEET FERN. (In honor of Henry 

 Compton, Lord Bishop of London.) Flowers 8 , $ Ament cylindric ; 

 bract reniform-cordate, acuminate ; calyx-scale 2-parted ; stamens 3, 

 forked, each bearing 2 half anthers. ? Ament ovate ; calyx-scales 6, 

 longer than the bract ; styles 2 ; nut ovoid, 1-celled. Low shrubs. 

 Lvs. long and narrow, pinnatifid-lobed, with small stipules, strongly aro- 

 matic. 



C. asplenifolia Ait. Lvs. long, linear-lanceolate, alternately siuuate-pinnatifiu- 

 A shrub 2f high, common in dry woods and hills, Can. to Md. (Shriver) and 

 AVis. (Lapham). The main stem is covered with a rusty brown bark which be- 

 comes reddisii in the branches, and white downy in the young shoots. Lvs. nu- 

 merous, on short peduncles," 3 to 4' by 6", divided nearly to the midvein into nu- 

 merous rounded lobes so as to resemble those of the Spleenwort. Stip. in pairs, 

 acuminate. Barren flowers in erect, cylindric catkins, terminal and lateral. Fer- 

 tile fls. in a dense, rounded burr or head, situated below the barren one. Fr. a 

 small, ovate, brown, 1-celled nut. May. 



ORDER CXXIL SALICACEJi WILLOWORTS. (' 



Trees or sh'rubs with alternate, simple leaves and deciduous or persistent stipules. 

 Flowers $ ? , both kinds in aments, one under each bract of the ament Calyx 

 none or cup-form and entire. Ovary 1 to 2 celled, with 2 short styles. Fruit a 

 capsule, 2-valved, co-seeded. Seeds with a coma, and no albumen. Illust in 

 Jigs. 47, a; 81, 98, 266, 267, 2*G8, 269, 465. 



Genera 2, tpecit ? 220, chiefly natives of the northern temperate ami frigid zones, one species, 

 Salix arctica, extending farther north than any other known woody plant." 



Properties. The bark is astringent and tonic, possessing the febrifugal properties of the sul- 

 phate of qninia. The wood is employed for various economical purposes. Several of the Wil- 

 lows and Poplars are much admired as shade trees. 



1. SA'LIX, Tourn. WILLOW. OSIER. (Celtic sal, near, and Us, water ; 

 alluding to their usual locality.) Aments cylindric, bracts imbricated, 

 entire, 1-flowcred, each with a nectariferous gland at base. $ Calyx 

 0; sta. 2 7. $ Calyx 0; ova. ovoid-lanceolate, acuminate ; stig. 2, 

 mostly bifid ; caps. 1-celled, 2 valved, valves acuminate, finally revolute 

 at summit ; seeds numerous, minute, comous. Trees, shrubs and under- 

 slirubs. Lvs. usually narrow and elongated, usually with conspicuous 

 stipules. Aments terminal and lateral. 



Aments sessile, expanding hefore the leaves in early spring. Stamens 2. Ovaries 

 clothed with wool, silk or down. Shrubs or small trees. (*) 



* Ovaries pedicellate. Leaves subentire, grayish-downy, rugous, margins subrev- 



olute. Upland grayish shrubs. Aments small Xos. 1 :> 



* Ovaries pedicellate. Leaves serrulate, smooth and shining above, glaucous be- 



neath. Aments large, very hairy. Shrubs S to 15f Nos. 4 6 



* Ovaries pedicellate. Leaves serrate, grayish-silky beneath, drying black. 



i Aments with 2 or 3 bracts at base! Nos. 7, 8 



* Ovaries sessile. Leaves subentire, not drying black Nos. 9, 10 



Aments more or less pedunculate, expanding with the leaves in late spring. Ovaries 



mostly glabrous. (*). 



* Ovaries clothed with silk or down and pedicellate. Stamens 2. (a) 



a Leaves downy both sides. Ovary long-beaked. Shrub erect No. 1 1 



a Leaves glabrous when mature. Shrubs low, mostlyalpine. .-pivading.. -Nos. 12 14 



* Ovaries glabrous. Shrubs alpine, low, creeping or ascending Nos. 15 17 



* Ovaries glabrous. Shrubs erect, or trees, 3 to 60f high, (a) 



a Ovaries pedicellate. Scales greenish-yellow, deciduous, (b^ 



b Stamens mostly 2, sometimes 3. "Leaves glaucous beneath Nos. IS, 10 



b Stamens mostly T> 1 4 to CX Leaves green on both sides..' Nos. 20, '21 



a Ovaries pedicellate. Scales dark or black, persistent, (b) 



b Leaves conlato or at least truncate at the base. 4 to 15f high No.s. 22, 23 



b Loaves acute <>r tapering at base. Shrubs 6 to 101' liisrh Xos, 24, _'."> 



a Ovarici sessile. . v ';i:ix:.= _'. ~ Trees of the largest iize , N 



