DIOECL\— DIANDRIA. Salix. 293 



Rather moht woods and hedges, frequent . Sm. 

 Tree, jipril. 



Tree scarcely so large as Sa. caprea. Ls. three to four inches, by 

 one inch. 



S. viminalis. Common Osier. Leaves linear, very 

 long, inclining to spear-shaped, lengthened out, taper- 

 pointed, entire, wavy : snow-white and silky beneath. 

 Branches straight and slender. Germen stalkless. 

 Style as long as the linear, undivided stigmas. E. B. 

 1898. 



JVet meadows, osier-grounds, hanks of rivers. 

 Tree-like. May. 



Branches very long, silky. Ls. scattered, with short foot-stalks, 

 somewhat erect : under side of the leaves with an elevated 

 nerve, and numerous, diverging, somewhat parallel veins. Style 

 lengthened out, and thread-shaped. Ls. longer than in any 

 other species, nan-ow, almost linear. Caps, stalkless, egg- 

 shaped, silky. 



Many varieties of this species, cultivated in osier-grounds : the 

 value of the common-osier, for basket-work is universally known : 

 is used also for hoops. Planted to keep up the banks of rivers. In 

 thriving situations, and where osiers are in demand, osier-grounds 

 have been known to pay an annual rent of ten pounds an acre : 

 ordinarily, if properly managed, they pay four or five. TVith. 



The specific distinctions of Sa. stipularis, and Sa. mollissima, 

 rest, according to Dr. Hooker, upon very slight grounds ; so 

 nearly allied are they to Sa. viminalis. Fl. Scotica. But see his 

 Br. Fl. p. 423. 



Discrim. Silvery appearance of the leaves underneath, the long, 

 and slender neci. of the stamen-bearing flowers, and the very 

 long style of the pistil-bearing flower. 



Osiers differ from sallows in their long, straight, flexible, and 

 mostly tough twigs ; their generally stalkless germens, and length- 

 ened out styles and stigmas. Sm. 



(S. Smithiana. Silky-leaved Osier. Leaves spear- 

 shaped, pointed, slightly wavy, minutely toothed ; soft 

 and scarcely visibly downy above ; whitish and silky 

 beneath. Stipulas crescent- shaped, minute. Catkins 

 egg-shaped, Germen stalked. Style shorter than the 

 linear, deeply divided stigmas. S. molhssima. E. B. 



1509. 



Meadows a7id osier-grounds. Pn. Fl. 



Shrub. April, May. 



Shrub, with reddish, wand-like, but brittle twigs.) Sm. 



(S. stipularis. Auricled Osier. Leaves spear-shaped, 

 pointed, slightly wavy, obscurely notched j soft and 



