Salix.] AMENTACE^. 459 



9. S. aurita, L. Bound-eared Sallow. " Leaves obovate re- 

 pando-dentate wrinkled with veins more or less pubescent very 

 downy beneath tipped with a small bent point recurved at the 

 margin, stipules roundish, style very short." — Br. FJ. p. 393. 

 E. B. t. 1487. 



/3. " Leaves siibrotund, hoary beneath." — Sm. Eng. Fl. vol. iv. p. 217. 



On wet heaths and in swampy thickets; not uncommon. Fl. April, May. ^. 



E. Med. — Abundant in New copse, between Kyde and Wootton, and on wet 

 heathy ground adjacent to it, 1841. tlndercliff, not uncommon. (Plentiful on 

 moist heathy ground between Briddlesford heath and the Newport and Byde 

 road). In a field Vietween Shanklin and Ryde, Dr. Bell-Salter. 



W. Med. — Wet thickets by the Mediua above Newport. 



j8. New copse, near Wootton bridge. 



A small much and irregularly branched tree or rather straggling shrub, of 4 to 

 8 or 10 feet high, covered with a light grayish very smooth bark, the lower 

 branches procumbent or even, it is said, trailing, known at first sight by iis usu- 

 ally very small, roundish, wrinkled and shaggy leaves, which appear vaulted or 

 arched by the inflexion of their edges: I have never observed the branches to be 

 trailing with us, though the lowermost are often decumbent at the base, or at 

 least ascending, as the main stem itself usually is. Leaves very shortly stalked, 

 various in size, in /3. scarcely an inch long at most, obovate and tapering to the 

 petiole, sometimes ovale and rounded at the base, obtuse or abrupt, with a small, 

 short, recurved and oblique point, the surface remarkably rugose, waved and 

 twisted, vaulted or concave on the under side by the inflexion of their margins, 

 grayish green and very hairy above, shaggy, paler and glaucous beneath, with 

 strong prominent veins, the edges inflexed, crisped, and according to Smith 

 coarsely serrated, in my specimens entire or at most slightly crenulate. Stipules 

 in texture like the leaves, shaggy and vaulted beneath, roundish or semicovdate, 

 obtuse or somewhat pointed, toothed or entire, very variable in size. Scales very 

 hairy, rounded and obtuse, very remarkably so in the male plant. Catkins sessile 

 or nearly so, slightly curved, produced just before the leaves or whilst the latter 

 are opening, very small, the barren not much above ^ an inch in length (in (3. at 

 least), the fertile a little longer. Capsules greenish or yellowish, silky, ovate, 

 compressed, suddenly attenuated into a long beak-like form, tipped with the now 

 slightly cleft and withered stigma. Fertile calkins ovate, about an inch long. 

 Germens stalked, broadly subulate, sericeo-tomentose. Styles very short; stigmas 

 simply notched, or in part considerably clefl. 



Smith's description of this species is excellent throughout. 



Considering the almost infinite variation to which the willows, and this tribe in 

 particular, are addicted, the conjecture of some, that this species may be only n 

 form of S. caprea, does not seem so very extravagant a supposition. It may 

 however be observed that, besides its much smaller size, the season of flowering 

 is at least a month later than the latter. 



10. S. caprea, L. Great Bound -leaved Willow. "Leaves 

 roundish obovate or ovato -elliptical even acute at first entire downy 

 above tomentose beneath, autumnal ones serrated and waved at the 

 margin nearly glabrous above downy beneath, stipules somewhat 

 reniform toothed, style very short or none." — Br. Fl. p. 393. E. 

 B. t. 1488. S. sphacelata, Sm. : E. B. t. 2333. 



One of the most abundant species in moist woods and hedges. Fl. March, 

 April. Ij. 



The male flowers of this and the other sallows have a sweet resinous odour very 

 attractive to bees, which may be seen hovering about the bright yellow catkins in 

 March, when the air can hardly yet be called genial. 



