Trees of New York State 107 



SALIGACEAE 



Salix nigra Marsh. 



Black Willow, Crack Willow 



Habit — The largest native willow. A tree of rapid growth, attaining 

 maturity between 50-70 years, under optimum conditions sometimes 120 

 feet in height with a trunk diameter of 2-3 feet, usually much smaller, 

 often with several crooked medium-sized trunks ascending obliquely from 

 the same root crown. Crown broad and open, consisting of stout, ascend- 

 ing branches and drooping branchlets. 



Leaves — Alternate, lanceolate, 3-6 inches long, %-% of an inch wide, long 

 attenuate and usually curved at the apex, rounded or wedge-shaped at 

 the base, finely serrate, at maturity thin, light green, smooth and lustrous 

 above, pale green and glabrous (except on the veins) beneath, borne on 

 short petioles. Stipules on vigorous shoots foliacious, semi-cordate and 

 persistent, on normal shoots minute, ovoid and deciduous. 



Flowers — Appearing in May, terminal on short, lateral, leafy branchlets, 

 dioecious, glandular, borne in the axils of yellow, rounded scales, the 

 whole forming narrow, cylindrical aments 1-3 iuches in length. Perianth 

 wanting. Stamens 3-5, with long filaments and yellow anthers. Pistil 

 solitary, consisting of a stalked, glabrous, ovate, 1-celled ovary and 2 

 nearly sessile, thick stigmas. 



Fruit — A reddish brown, ovate, smooth, short pedicellate capsule, about Vs 

 of an inch long, opening by 2 sutures at maturity to set free the minute, 

 comose seeds. 



Winter characters — Twigs slender, smooth, very brittle at the base, reddish 

 bro^\'n to pale orange. Terminal bud lacking. Lateral buds 1-scaled, 

 acute, reddish brown, about 1/16 of an inch long. Mature bark varying 

 from brown to nearly black, thick, divided by deep furrows into broad, 

 flat, anastomosing ridges, scaly at the surface. 



Habitat — A moisture-loving species growing on wet sites along stream 

 courses, shores of lakes, flat swampy areas, more rarely in upland situa- 

 tions. Propagates as readily through natural cuttings as through seeds. 



Range — A widely distributed species ranging from New Brunswick west 

 through southern Canada to the Dakotas, south to Florida and Texas, 

 thence westward into central California. Zones A, B, C, and D. 



Uses — • Of secondary- importance as a timber tree, producing a low grade of 

 lumber. Wood light, soft, weak, fine grained, pale reddish brown with 

 light, nearly white sapwood. Made into artificial limbs, slack cooperage, 

 excelsior, charcoal, pulp and cheap furniture. Because of the ease of 

 propagation by cuttings and its rapid growth, this species is used exten- 

 sively in bank revetment along streams. 



