47S THE CATKIN FAMILY. 



In woods, thictets, and waste places, near streams, in northern and Arctic 

 Europe and Asia, and in tlie mountain distncts of central and southern 

 Europe. In Britain, chiefly in northern England, in Scotland, and probably 

 in Ireland. Fl. spring and early summer. Among the numerous varieties 

 published as species, often from specimens transplanted from their native 

 stations and altered by cultivation, two forms are generally recognized as 

 distinct types, -S. nigricans, which always turns black in drying and is usually 

 larger, and S. phylicifolia, which preserves its colour better and has usually 

 a smaller and neater fohage. 



10. Creeping Willow. Saliz repens, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 183, S. argentea, t. 1364, S. arhvscvla, t. 1366, S. prostrata^ 



t. 1959, S.fusca, t. 1960, S. parvifolia, t 1961, S. adscendens, t. 1962. 



A low, straggling shrub ; the stems creeping extensively underground 

 and rooting at the base, ascending to the height of about a foot or more, 

 erect and taller when cultivated in rich soils ; the foliage and young shoots 

 more or less densely silky-white. Leaves oblong or lanceolate, under an 

 inch long, rarely shortly ovate, or in luxuriant shoots narrow-oblong, 1^ 

 inches long, usually entire or nearly so, and silky on both sides. Catkins 

 cylindrical, usually about 6 lines long, and sessile when in flower, with a few 

 leafy bracts at the base ; when in fruit the peduncle lengthens, and the 

 catkin often attains an inch. Capsules pedicellate, usually sUky, seldom 

 2 lines long. 



On heaths, moors, and sandy places, in Arctic, northern, and central Eu- 

 rope, and Russian Asia, more rare in southern Europe. Common in 

 Britain. Fl. spring. Varieties rather less creeping, with the leaves some- 

 what wrinkled, and the white down rather more cottony, distinguished 

 under the names of S. ambigua or S. verstfolia, showing in some respects 

 a connection between the round-eared W. and the creeping W., are as- 

 serted by German botanists to be accidental hybrids between those two 

 species. 



11. Downy TVillow. Salix Xjapponuxn, Linn. 

 (S. arenaria, Eng. Bot. t. 1809, & glauca, t. 1810, S. Stuartiana, t. 2586.) 



A spreading, much branched shrub, usually low and scrubby, sometimes 

 attaining 2 or 3 feet or even more when it descends into rich valleys. Leaves 

 oblong or lanceolate, pointed, and entire, covered on both sides with a white 

 cottony down, or, when old, becoming nearly glabrous above. Catkins 

 closely sessile, with a few deciduous bracts at their base ; when in flower 

 about an inch long, thick, with long, dense, silky hairs ; when in fruit 

 lengthening to li or 2 inches. Capsules sessile, cottony, about 2 lines 

 long. 



In mountain pastures, and wet, bushy places, in northern and Arctic 

 Europe, and Asia, and in the mountains of central Europe. In Britain, 

 only in the Highlands of Scotland. Fl. summer. It varies much in sta- 

 ture and the size of the leaves, but is always distinguished from the creep- 

 ing W. by the stem not creeping underground, and the much larger catkins, 

 more like those of the Sallow VT., and from the latter species by the entire 

 leaves and sessile capsules. 



12. 'Woolly 'NVillow. Salis lanata, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2621..) 

 A stout, much branched shrub, attaining about 2 feet in height, aUied to 



