Trees of New York State 115 



SALICACEAE 



Salix fragilis L. [Salix viridis Fries.; Salix Russelliaua Sm.] 



Crack Willow, Brittle Willow 



Habit — A large tree sometimes attaining a height of 60-80 feet with a trunk 

 diameter of 3-4 feet. Crown wide and rounded, consisting of upright 

 and ascending wide-spreading branches. 



Leaves — Alternate, petioled, lanceolate, 3-6 inches long, %-l^/^ inches wide, 

 acuminate at the apex, cunoate at the base, finely and glandular serrate, 

 at maturity coriaceous, dark green and glabrous above, paler and some- 

 what glaucous below. Stipules semi-cordate, glandular-toothed, fugacious. 



Flowers — Appearing in April and May, dioecious, glandular, borne in the 

 axils of ovate, rather blunt and hairy, persistent scales, the whole form- 

 ing densely flowered aments terminal on short, leafy branchlets. Stami- 

 nate aments narrowly oblong to conic, %-2y2 inches long. Pistillate 

 aments linear-cylindrical, of similar size. Stamens 2, mth free, smooth 

 filaments and yellow anthers. Pistil solitary, consisting of a smooth, 

 narrowly ovoid, short-stalked ovary, a short style and 2 spreading stigmas. 



Fruit — A short-pedicellate, glabrous, long-conical capsule, opening at matu- 

 rity by 2 opposite sutures to set free the minute, comose seeds. 



Winter characters — Twigs somewhat angular, slender, at first finely hairy, 

 reddish to yellowish brown, finally smooth, lustrous, brown, lenticellate, 

 with raised leaf-scars, very brittle at the base. Terminal bud lacking. 

 Lateral buds 1-scaled, oblong-ovate, bluntly acute, and smooth, I/IQ-V^ 

 of an inch long. Mature bark gray or grayish bro'svn, thick, with narrow, 

 scaly, anastomosing ridges separated by rather broad furrows. 



Habitat — More cosmopolitan in distribution than Weeping Willow, thriving 

 well on deep, moist, upland soils as well as along stream courses, margins 

 of ponds, etc. 



Range — ■ A native of Europe and Asia, long introduced into this country for 

 ornament and shade. Naturalized in the eastern states and Canada 

 through natural cuttings. Common along our streams and rivers, the 

 brittle twigs snapping off with a cracking sound, falling, and eventually 

 taking root. Zones A, B, and C. 



Uses — Of no commercial significance in this country aside from ornament 

 and shade. Occasionally used for light fuel and charcoal. In the Old 

 World, the trees are pollarded where fuel is scarce or are sometimes sawed 

 into lumber. 



