THE WILLOW. 



151 



to some botanical authors, to nearly seventy, while others 

 reduce them to about thirty, a few, when trained and 

 attended to in their growth, reach the size of small trees 

 of from twenty to thirty feet high ; such are Sal. triandra, 

 Sal. pentandra, Sal. acuti/olia, <Sfc. ; the majority, however, 

 are of humble growth, and under the name of osiers are 

 valuable when cultivated, producing the material used 

 in the fabrication of all kinds of basket and wicker-work.* 

 The generic characters are, flowers of each sex with 

 entire bracteas. Male flower generally consisting of 1 — 5 

 stamens, sometimes more, with one or more glands in- 

 serted contiguously to the stamens. Female flower, a 

 pistil stalked, or sessile with one or more glands inserted 

 contiguously to it. Leaves in most species, with the 

 disk more or less lanceolate. 



* For further information respecting this interesting genus, the uses to which 

 the species are applied, their culture, &c, we must refer our readers to the " Ar- 

 boretum Britannicum," where they will find a comprehensive digest of all that has 

 been written upon the subject. 



