Handbook of Teees of the Noetiieen States and Canada. S5 



Tlie Sand-bar Willow attains a maximum 

 height of 60 or 70 ft. and trunk diameter of 2 

 ft., but on(y in a very limited portion of its 

 vast area does it attain such dimensions. It 

 is generally a small tree and often only a 

 shrub 5 or 6 ft. in height. As a tree it de- 

 velops a narrow top with upright and inclined 

 branches, and its long narrow pendent leaves 

 make it easily distinguishable. Comparatively 

 rare and local in the east it is very abundant 

 in the northern and western interior portions 

 of the continent, covering the river banks and 

 adjoining low-lands with great thickets of its 

 flexible crowded stems. In these regions it is 

 usually the first shrub or tree to spring up on 

 the newly formed sand-bars, holding them with 

 its strong roots and catching new deposits of 

 silt, until the sturdy Cottonwoods can find foot- 

 ing and develop their towering trunks. 



The wood of the Sand-bar Willow is soft 

 and light, a cubic foot when absolutely drj' 

 weighing 30.72 lbs. and is little used save for 

 light fuel and charcoal. 2 



Leaves involute in the bud, linear-lanceolate. 

 2-6 in. long, gradually tapering to both ends, re- 

 motely dentate with small glandular spreading 

 teeth, glabrous. pubescent, yellowish green : 

 stipules small, deciduous petioles short and not 

 glandular. Flowers (.\pril-May) aments on 

 terminal short leafy branchlets, often branchini:. 

 with pubescent peduncles or from axillary buds of 

 same branches ; scales light yellow, villous ; 

 stamens 2 with filaments slightly hairy at base : 

 ovary short-stalked with large sessile lobed stig- 

 mas. Fruit capsules narrow-ovoid, glabuate. 



1. Syn. Salix loiujifoUa Muehl. 



