Salicinece Salix. 417 



in hedgerows and waste places. It forms a large shrub or small 

 tree, which blooms earlier than any other native species, pro- 

 ducing its short thick silky catkins before the leaves. The 

 reticulated leaves are silky, hairy below, and vary in outline 

 from lanceolate to oblong or rotundate, and crenate or entire at 

 the margin. Scales of the female catkins tipped with black. 

 S. cinerea, S. aqudtica, and a host of other names belong to this 

 species. S. c. pendula is the Kilmarnock Weeping Willow. 



4. S. purpiirea. Purple Osier. A small indigenous shrub 

 with reddish or purple bark. Leaves often opposite, glabrous, 

 lanceolate, serrulate, glaucous beneath. Catkins sessile, narrow, 

 with dark purple scales. Stamens 2 ; filaments more or less 

 combined, a character peculiar to this amongst British species. 

 This includes a large number of forms, but only one calls for 

 mention, namely, pendula, commonly known as the American 

 Weeping Willow. 



5. S. pentdndra. Bay Willow. This is a very distinct and 

 handsome species with broader thicker more shining foliage 

 than any of the foregoing, and five or more stamens. It is, 

 moreover, the latest in bloom of British species, producing its 

 bright yellow catkins after the appearance of the leaves. 



6. S. tridndra. Almond-leaved or' French Willow. A small 

 tree with glabrous linear-lanceolate glandular-serrate leaves 

 and glandular petioles. Stamens 3. This species is commonly 

 planted in Osier beds. 



S. viminalis is another common Osier, distinguished by its 

 entire leaves with a revolute margin and sessile catkins. S. 

 repens is the common creeping or trailing species. 8. pendula^ 

 syn. S. Babyldnica, is the old Weeping Willow, with very long 

 slender drooping branches and narrow leaves. It is a native 

 of China, according to Professor Koch, not of Western Asia, as 

 formerly supposed, and is sometimes known as Napoleon's 

 Willow. The female plant only is in cultivation. Another 

 handsome Weeping Willow, in cultivation under the -erro- 

 neous names Sieboldii and Japonica, is called elegantissima 

 by Koch. 



2. PGPULUS. 



Deciduous trees whose scaly buds are often covered with a 

 clammy resinous exudation. Catkins pendulous, appearing 

 before the leaves ; scales irregularly lobed or cut. 'Leaves 

 usually broad, rounded or angular. The species of this genus 



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