Handbook of Teees of the Xortiiekn States and Canada. 4-i'rj 



lets. Flowers diieeious in erect tomentose aments, expanding before the leaves; staminate 

 aments aliout 1 in. long near tlie ends of tlie branchlets : perianth wanting stamens .'t-l^. 

 inserted on tlie bases of the scales, with distinct filaments and oblong iutrorse 2-celled longi- 

 tudinally dehiscent anthers ; pistillate aments smaller, with perianth consisting of small 

 scales; ovary superior, ]-celled, with an elongated flatteneed recurved style, stigmatic on 

 inner face; ovule solitary, laterally attached, ascending, Fniit an elongated compressed dry 

 drupe, solitary or 2 or 3 together, with thin-walled nutlet ; seed flatteened with oblong 

 blackish hilum, tleshy albumen, erect embryo and flat cordate cotyledons. 



THE CORKWOOD. Genus LEITNERIA Chapman. 



The genus is characterized as above and contains a single species. It was named after 

 Dr. E. F. Lcitner, a German naturalist who was killed in Florida during the Seminole war, 



P'or .species scr pp. 7i-7.3. 



WILLOW FAMILY. SALICACE/E. 



Trees and shrubs with soft light wood, brittle twigs, bitter bark and of wide distribution, 

 chiefly of the northern hemisphere. They are grouped in two genera, having the following 

 characters in commou ; 



Lcarcx deciduous, simple, alternate and with stipules (sometimes minute and caducous). 

 Flonciti difpcious. appearing in early spring before the leaves, in aments. from axillary buds, 

 a single small flower appearing in the axil of each scale of the ament. perianth wanting; 

 stamens 2-many, subtended by a disk and with introrse 2-celled anthers longitudinally 

 dehiscent; piistil with short style, 2-4-lobed stigma and 1-celled ovary having 2-4 parietal 

 placenta? and numerous anatropous ovules. Fruit a 1-celled 2-4-valved ovoid capsule, bearing 

 numerous minute seeds surrounded by long silky white hairs and containing short radi(le, 

 flat cotyledons and no albumen. 



KEY TO THE GENERA. 



Scales of the aments entire ; stamens 2-10 and buds with a single scale Salix. 



Scale of the aments incised; stamens numerous and buds with several scales. .. . Populus. 



THE WILLOWS. Genus SALIX L. 



Trees and shrubs of IGO or 170 species of wide distriliution throughout the northern and 

 a few in the southern hemisphere. They grow generally along the banks of streams and 

 in low moist soil from the Arctic regions to the tropics. Numerous natural hybrids also 

 occur. About 70 species are found in North America and of these 21 are recognized as 

 trees of which 9 or 10 species are found in the northeastern states. Besides these we have 

 two or three natualized arborescent species. 



Learcit commonly lanceolate but ranging from obovate to linear: petioles short, some- 

 times glandular at ap'ex and more or less covering the bud ; stipules oblique, serrate, large and 

 persistent (especially so on young shoots) or small and deciduous; winter buds covered 

 with a single scale of two coats, the inner thin and membranous. Floircrs in aments with 

 entire or glandular dentate bracts and disk gland-like, minute and nectiferous ; stamens 2-12 

 (mostly 2) inserted at the base of the scale, with slender and mostly free filaments and 

 small oblong anthers ; pistillate aments usually erect or spreading ; ovary sessile or sho)-t 

 stipitate with short style. 2 short more or less recurved 2-cleft stigmas and containing 4-8 

 ovnles on each of the" 2 placentas. Fruit an acuminate capsule dehiscent by 2 lecuived 

 valves ; seeds minute, dark brown. 



The name is the ancient Latin name of the genus. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



a Stamens .3-7, with filaments hairy at base ; aments terminating leafy branchlets and with, 

 light yellow caducous scales 

 b Petioles not glandular ; leaves 



c Pale or whitish beneath, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate 



With longer petioles mostly V-j in. or more long S. amygdaloides.. 



With verv short petioles mostly less than i/, in. long S. longipes. 



c' Green benea'th, narrow-lanceolate, long-pointed; petioles short.,. S. nigra. 

 V Petioles glandular ; leaves taper-pointed 



Lustrous dark green above, pale beneath, thickish and finely serrate. 



S. lucida. 

 Dull dark green (not lustrous) above, pale beneath, thinnish and more coarsely serrate.. 



S. fragilis. 



a' Stamens usually 2. ,. , , , ^ , i ^. , , 



b Amrnts both terminal and axillary: leaves linear-lanceolate and remotely denticulate; 



filaments hairy at base : bracts vellow. caducous S- fluviatilis. 



b' Aments terminal on lateral branchlets. 



