SALICACE^ 259 



Dry hills, especially on limestone, but less common in Switzerland 

 than the last, except in Valais and the Southern Alps, where it 

 reaches 1600 m. (Keller and Schinz). 



Distribution. — Europe, especially Central, Western Asia. 



SALICACE^ 



Trees or shrubs with alternate, stipulate leaves. Flowers di- 

 oecious. Perianth 0. Male flowers (in catkins) of 2 or more stamens. 

 Female flowers of a i-celled ovary with 3 styles and many ovules. 

 The family is not represented in Australia or Malay. 



Salix L. Willow. 



Trees or shrubs, with simple, entire, or serrate leaves. Stipules 

 persistent or deciduous. Stamens 2 or more. Catkins usually erect. 

 Many species found in damp and cold regions of the globe, with a 

 great tendency to hybridise. 



Salix retusa L. 



A small, creeping shrub with ascending branches and 5-9 flowered 

 terminal catkins. Leaves obovate, running into a short leaf-stalk, 

 entire or glandular-serrate at the base, obtuse, sometimes emar- 

 ginate, glabrous, shining above, smooth beneath. Female catkins, 

 long, few-flowered. Scales as long as the glabrous ovary. Stigmas 

 2-3 cleft. Lobes filiform. 



Wet Alpine pastures and rocks up to 10,000 feet. June, July. 



Distribution. — Carpathians ; Eastern, Central, and Western Alps ; 

 Pyrenees, Jura, Apennines, Balkans, Altai. 



The variety serpyllifolia Scop, has much smaller leaves. 



Salix reticulata L. 



This small,' creeping shrub, with round, entire, net- veined leaves 

 does not often descend below about 4500 feet in Switzerland, and it 

 ascends to over 8000 feet. June to August. 



Distribution. — Carpathians, Alps, Pyrenees, Arctic Europe, 

 Asia and America. British. Often found fossilised. 



Salix herbacea L. 



This very small, creeping shrub, with branches only about 2 

 inches above the ground, and small, nearly orbicular, crenate- 

 serrate leaves, does not descend below about 5000 feet in Switzer- 

 land ; and it ascends to at least 11,000 feet. 



Distribution. — Carpathians, Alps, Pyrenees, Arctic Europe, Asia 

 and America. British. 



Salix arbuscula L. '' 



An erect shrub, 2-3 feet high, bushy, with small coriaceous 



