SALIC ACE AE. — SALIX 43 



Salix babylonica is cultivated in all the warmer parts of the world, although it 

 does not stand very well our northern climate. In northern countries often hy- 

 brids of this species with S. alba Linnaeus and S. fragilis Linnaeus or pendent 

 forms of these species are planted as S. babylonica. See also S. Matsudana Koid- 

 zumi (on p. 107). 



This is the common tree Willow of the region bordering the Yangtsze River 

 from its mouth westward for nearly two thousand miles. On the alluvial soils 

 from the region of the Tungting Lake eastward to the sea it is most abundant, and 

 it has been very generally planted in the neighborhood of houses and villages. It is 

 plentiful near Shanghai and is doubtless widely spread throughout the mild and 

 warmer parts of China. Near Ichang it does not ascend above 400 m. altitude, but 

 in the warm valleys of western Szech'uan it grows up to 1300 m. altitude, and 

 sometimes magnificent trees may be seen. From Ichang westward it is by no 

 means common, whereas from Ichang eastward on the alluvial plains it is the 

 most common tree. 



The habit is variable, and all forms are met with from the typical form with 

 pendent branchlets and arching branches to one in which the branches are ascend- 

 ing spreading. The most common form is intermediate between these extremes, 

 and this probably represents the phylogenetic type. 



Salix babylonica is a favorite tree with the Chinese and is commonly depicted 

 in Chinese drawings, pictures on porcelains, in wood-carvings and other works of 

 art. The fruits are occasionally used for stuffing cushions and the like, and by 

 peasants the leaves are locally used as " tea." 



This Willow has been introduced into Japan, where it is now widely cultivated, 

 being a favorite with Buddhist priests. In Tokyo and other Japanese cities it 

 is a common street tree, and each year these trees are severely pruned and only the 

 slender pendent branchlets are allowed to develop freely. 



Pictures of this tree will be found under Nos. 86, 398, 470, 594, 630, 715 and 

 0167 of the collection of my photographs and in my Vegetation of Western China, 

 Nos. 455, 461, 462, 463, 464. In this series of photographs the various forms of 

 this Willow are shown. E. H. W. 



Salix atopantha Schneider, n. sp. 



Frutex parvus, erectus, ramosus, 0.6-2.5 m. altus; ramuli hornotini 

 laxe puberuli v. glabri, vetustiores glabri, omnes intense purpuraseen- 

 tes; gemmae 6-7 mm. longae, oblongae, adpressae, glabrae, purpureo- 

 brunneae. Folia nondum satis evoluta oblongo-elliptica, utrinque 

 acuta V. obtusa, supra viridia, initio puberula, deinde costa paulo im- 

 pressa excepta glabrescentia, nervis tenuiter incisis, subtus pallida v. 

 glauca, initio tantum ad costam prominulam sparse puberula v. glaber- 

 rima, nervis lateralibus utrinque circiter 6 vix visibilibus v. paulo pro- 

 minulis, margine breviter glanduloso-denticulata v. rarius subintegra, 

 minora circiter 1 cm. longa et 0.4 cm. lata, maxima ad 2.5 cm. longa et 

 1 cm. lata. Amenta coetanea, pedunculis foliis 3-6 parvis normalibus 

 instructis puberulis suffulta, rhachi villosa, densiflora; amenta d" pe- 

 dunculis 0.5-1 cm. longis exceptis 1-2 cm, longa et circiter 0.5-0.6 

 cm. crassa; flores diandri, filamentis liberis basi pilosis, antheris 



