FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 217 



feet high and from 8 to 12 inches in diameter ; occasionally from 40 to 50 feet 

 high, and from 16 to 18 inches in diameter. Bark, very pale reddish brown, 

 about half an inch thick, rather deeply furrowed, the wide ridges thick-scaled 

 and connected by narrower ones. The straight, slender, shiny, red to orange- 

 brown twigs are tough and can not readily be broken off where they join a 

 branch. On their upper sides the thin leaves (fig. 87) are shiny, light yellow- 

 green ; on their under surfaces, very pale or whitish, but smooth ; the minute 

 teeth on the borders have gland-like points. The prominent mid-veins and 

 their branches are conspicuously light to dark yellow. Wood, pale yellow- 

 brown, light in weight, soft, brittle, and fine-grained. It has no economic value 

 or commercial uses. Very probably this species, not yet tested under cultiva- 

 tion, will prove to be a good basket willow. The straight, slender annual shoots 

 are tough and resemble in character and appearance the true almond willow 

 (Salix amyydalina) , which furnishes a standard basket rod. 



Longevity. — Little is known of the age limits. The tree grows rapidly in 

 diameter during 25 to 30 years. * Trees from 7 to 10 inches in diameter are 

 from 20 to 35 years old. Probably attains maturity in from 40 to 50 years. 



BANGE. 



Quebec (near Montreal) and New York (Cayuga County) to the upper Saskatchewan; 

 southward to Ohio and Missouri, and westward in the Plains region to the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, where it ranges from southwestern Texas to Oregon. Washington, Hritish Columbia. 



OCCURRENCE. 



Borders of perpetual and intermittent streams, in rocky or gravelly soil. Climatic con- 

 ditions, silvical characteristics, etc., undetermined. 



Smooth Willow. 



Salix la r -it/a t a Bebb. 



DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS. 



For want of a distinctive current common name " smooth willow " is here 

 coined from the technical name. Smooth willow is known in its range only as 

 " black willow," from the roughly furrowed, very dark reddish brown bark, the 

 ridges of which are firm, narrow and connected by still narrower lateral ones; 

 bark of the large dark brown limbs is also seamed. Commonly with one straight 

 stem from 15 to 25 feet high (the clear portion short) and from 6 to 10 inches 

 in diameter ; sometimes 30 or 35 feet high and a foot in diameter — rarely larger. 

 The slim branches form a somewhat irregular, broad, round-topped crown. Full 

 grown twigs arc very slender, smooth, and clear reddish yellow to reddish 

 brown. The distinctly deep bluish green leaves (fig. 88)° are smooth through- 

 out, shiny on their upper surface and whitish beneath, about '.'•} to 6j inches 

 long (sometimes 1£ inches wide) and with conspicuous yellow mid-veins, 

 branches of which are clearly seen on the top side of the leaf — less evident 

 beneath. Leaf stems, wide, channeled, very minutely and sparingly hairy. 



Wood, pale reddish brown. Not used for commercial purposes. 



"Variety Salix Uevigata auguetifoUa Bebb is a form with narrow scythe-shaped leaves 

 with rounded bases: while the variety B. laevigata congeata was distinguished by the 

 same author by its short dense flower clusters and the spherical, cone-shaped, very short- 

 stemmed seed capsules. 



