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SALIC A CE/E. .VA V I.1X. 



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CHAR CI 1 1. 



OF THE HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER SALICA^CEJE. 



All the plants of this order are ligneous, and included in the genera Salix 

 L. and Populus L., which agree in having the flowers unisexual, and those 

 of the two sexes situated upon distinct plants, disposed in catkins, and indi- 

 vidually subtended in the catkins by a bractea, termed a scale by many 

 botanical authors ; in the seeds being contained in a capsule of one cell and 

 two valves, and each seed bearing a tuft of longish white hairs ; and in the 

 leaves having stipules. The points of structure in which the genera differ 

 will be found in the following characters; the essential distinction being in the 

 number of stamens: — 



AVlix L. Bractea to the flower of each sex entire. Male flower consisting 

 of 1 — 5 stamens, more in a few species, and of one or more glands inserted 

 contiguously to the stamens. Female flower consisting of a pistil that is 

 stalked or sessile, or nearly sessile ; and one or more glands inserted con- 

 tiguously to it. Leaves, in most, with the disk more or less lanceolate. 

 (Smith Engl. FL, and observation.) 

 Po'pulus L. Bractea to the flower of each sex laciniated in its terminal 

 edge. Male flower consisting of a calyx, and 8 stamens at fewest ; in 

 many instances, many more. Female flower consisting of a calyx and a 

 pistil. Leaves with the disk more or less oblate ; and the petiole, in most, 

 compressed in the part adjoining the disk. (T*. Nees ab Escnbeck Gen. PI. 

 Fl. Germ. III., and observation.) 



Consistently with Dr. Lindley's definition of a catkin, given in his Intro- 

 duction to Botany, ed. 2., what, in the genus *Salix, has been usually termed 

 the scale or the calyx, and by Borrer, in the Supplement to English Botany, the 

 calyx scale, is here denominated a bractea; and what used to be called the 

 nectary is, agreeably with Dr. Lindley's definition, in his Synopsis of the 

 British Flora, here termed a gland. 



Genus I. 



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SA^LIX L. The Willow. Lin. Syst. Dice Via Diandria. 



Identification. Lin. Gen.,/514. ; Juss.,408. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., vol. 31. j Fl. Br., 1039. ; Tourn 

 t 364. ; Lam., t. 80i'. ; Gaertn., t. 90. 



Synonymes. Harab, Hebrew ; Itea, Gr. ; .Salix, Lat. ; Saule, Fr. ; Weidc and Felber. Ger, ; saleio, 

 Hal. ; Sauze, Span. ; Wide, Stved. ; Wilgc, Flem. ; Withig, Anglo-Sax. ; Willow, Withy, Sal- 

 low, Osier, Engl. ; Saugh, Scotch. 



Derivation. From sal, near, and lis, water, Celtic ; in reference to its general habitat. According 

 to others, from satire, to leap ; on account of the extraordinary rapidity of its growth. 



Description, Sec. Trees and shrubs, mostly the latter, varying from 2 in. or 

 3 in., to 50 ft., 00 ft., and even to 80 ft. or 90 ft. in height. The branches are 

 round and flexible. Leaves simple, undivided, stalked, generally alternate, 

 deciduous. Stipules in pairs at the base of the footstalks, very variable in 

 size, deciduous. The leaves are arranged spirally on the branches ; those on 

 which 3 complete the spiral have the epithet tripla applied to them; those 

 which have 4, tetrapla, &c. In a very few species only are the leaves placed 

 opposite, and not in a spiral order. In by far the greater number they are dis- 

 posed in a hexaplous order. ( Walker.) Catkins early, erect or drooping, 



