Handbook of Teees of the ISToetheen States and Canada. 



83 



The Brittle Willow is a native of Europe 

 and Asia, where it is one Of the most useful 

 of the Willows in the production of valuable 

 timber. It was early introduced into America 

 and has become extensively naturalized 

 throughout the eastern states and Canada. 

 It is a tree of very rapid growth, attaining a 

 large size, sometimes 70 or 80 ft. in height 

 with trunk 3 or 4 ft. or more in thickness, 

 covered with a rough scaly-ridged gray bark. 

 Its full rounded top of upright and spreading 

 branches and clean foliage make it a desirable 

 tree for ornamental planting in moist locali- 

 ties, but its special value is for planting 

 along the banks of streams to prevent erosion. 

 This can be very easily accomplished by 

 simply sticking stakes made from freshly cut 

 branches into the moist soil in early spring- 

 time. Soon the}' become clothed with foliage 

 and in a surprisingly short time sturdy trees. 

 The tree takes its name from the twigs being 

 very brittle at base, a strong wind usually 

 leaving the ground beneath a tree strewn with 

 them. 



The wood of the Brittle Willow is very light, 

 soft, tough and of a reddish brown color with 

 thick whiter sap-wood. Lumber is manur 

 factured from the tree in Europe and is said 

 to be more durable than that of most of the 

 Willows, but the use of the wood is confined 

 in this country mainly to fuel and charcoal, a 

 large part of the charcoal used in the manu- 

 facture of gunpowder coming from this source. 

 The trees by being pollarded can be depended 

 upon for successive crops of wood at regular 

 intervals of a few years each. 



Leaves lanceolate, commonly ?i-Q in. lone;, 

 cuneate at base, long acuminate, glandular- 

 serrate, glabrous both sides at maturity, dark 

 green above, slightly paler beneath ; petioles 

 %-% in. long, glandular above; stipules tugaoious ; 

 branchlets greenish. Flowers appearing with the 

 leaves on short leafy branchlets ; scales deciduous ; 

 etigmas nearly sessile. Fruit capsules long-coai- 

 cal, glabrous with very short pedicels. 



