DICOTYLEDONS 



SALICACEAE (Willow Family) 



Trees or shrubs; bark bitter. Leaves simple, alternate. 



Flowers of both sexes in aments, dioecious, naked. Stamens long, 

 I to many. Pistil i; ovary i-celled; stigmas 2, simple or 2-4-cleft. 

 Fruit a capsule, 2-4-valved. Seeds many, with a tuft of hairs at 

 one end; hairs long, silky, mostly white. 



A. Ament scales entire; stamens i-io; flowers with 1-2 glandlike projections at 

 base; buds with only i bud scale. SALIX (p. 70) 



AA. Ament scales lacerate or sharply serrate at tip; stamens 4-60; flowers with a 

 cuplike disk at base; buds with more than i bud scale. POPULtJS (p. 72) 



SALIX (Willow) 



Trees or shrubs. Leaves short-petioled. Staminate aments dense ; 

 stamens i-io, usually 2. Ovary sessile or short-stalked; stigmas 2, entire 

 to 2-cleft. Capsule mostly 2-valved. — (Celtic sal = near, lis — water; 

 referring to the usual habitat.) 



A. Ament scales pale yellow, deciduous. 

 B. Trees, with furrowed bark; leaves closely serrulate; stamens 2-9. 

 C. Leaves without glands where petiole joins blade. 

 D. Leaves deep green beneath when mature, narrowly lanceolate to linear- 

 lanceolate; stipules semicordate; stamens 3-5. E. — Leaves medicinal. 



S. nigra (black willow) 

 DD. Leaves pale or glaucous beneath, even when mature. 



E. Leaves narrowly lanceolate or linear-lanceolate; stipules narrow; twigs strik- 

 ingly long and pendulous; stamens 2; cultivated. W. E. 



S. babylonica (weeping willow) 

 EE. Leaves lanceolate or broadly lanceolate; twigs not strikingly long; stamens 

 5-9- 

 F. First few leaves at base of twigs plainly widest below the middle of the 

 blade; stipules reniform; petioles slender, nearly terete. E. 



S. amygdaloides' (peach willow) 

 FF. First few leaves at base of twigs mostly widest at or above the middle of 

 the blade; stipules ovate; petioles wide, plainly grooved. W. C. E. 



S. laevigata (smooth willow) 

 CC. Leaves with glands where petiole joins blade. W. C. E. 



S. lasiandra (gland willow) 

 BB. Shrubs or trees, with unfurrowed bark; leaves remotely serrulate or entire; 

 stamens 2. 

 G. Leaves linear or linear-lanceolate; blade widest below the middle, entire or 

 remotely denticulate; pistillate aments 10-20 mm. wide. 



70 



