THE COMMON WILLOW. 447 



The Crack Willow has smooth leaves with pale undersides, 

 which are downy in the early stages. The leaf of the White or 

 Huntingdon Willow is covered with silky white hairs on the 

 underside, sometimes also on the upper surface. One variety has 

 a pale green" underside. The leaf of the Bedford Willow is smooth 

 on both sides, and tapers at both ends. The young leaves are 

 downy and slender in form. All of these species agree in having 

 the edges of the leaf-blade serrated, and in bearing stipules. 



THE CATKIN. 



The Willows, like the Poplars, are individually male or female 

 trees. Their habit should be contrasted in this respect with that of 

 the species which bear both male and female flowers, but on the 

 same tree, such as the Alder, the Birch, the Sweet Chestnut, the 

 Beech ; or again with others like the Lime, the Horse-chestnut, or the 

 Maple, where male and female organs are combined in the same 

 flower. The Catkins of the Crack Willow are produced at the 

 apex of the short, lateral, green shoots bearing small leaves. In the 

 case of the White Willow, the shoots are so short as to appear 

 merely a continuation of the central axis of the Catkin. The 

 male Catkins consist of a number of florets loosely arranged on a 

 curved central support. Each of the florets contains two, or some- 

 times three, stamens tipped with yellow pollen, which stand out from 

 a small sheath. The Catkin measures two to two and a halt inches 

 in length, and rather more than a quarter of an inch in diameter. 

 It is cylindrical in shape, with tapering ends. The fertile Calkins 

 resemble the males in general outline, and in the manner in which 

 they are connected with the twig. The central axis supports 

 a number of green seed-vessels, small and pointed, each one attached 



