THE WILLOWS OF OHIO. 293 



are somewhat narrower but so extremely wooly that neither sur- 

 face of the leaf can be seen. It was from these that Prof. Rowlee 

 took the type of the variety. These intermediate leaves shade 

 into narrow tomentose forms which connect with the narrow 

 glabrous leaves of the typical species. One might doubt, if he 

 had not studied the plant in the field, that the broad glabrous 

 leaves were the extreme form, were they not accompanied by an 

 extreme in floral development which is more significant than the 

 leaf characters on which Prof. Rowlee separated the variety. 

 This is in the development of the secondary aments at the base 

 of the terminal. In the variety the aments often form clusters 

 of half a dozen, all opening at nearly the same time — a thing 

 which is rarely seen in 5. interior itself. The flowering period is 

 also distinctly later in the variety than in the species. On Cedar 

 Point it seems to be at its height the first of July and continues 

 into August. Fully 99 % of the plants on Cedar Point are stam- 

 inate. To what the dearth of carpellate plants is due it is not 

 possible to say at present. 



As yet the variety ivheeleri has been found in Ohio only at 

 Painesville (H. C. Beardslee no. 67, fide Rowlee) and on Cedar 

 Point where it is abundant. It possibly occurs all along the lake 

 shore and possibly for some distance back into the country. But 

 I was unable to find it in Ashtabula county though the conditions 

 seem favorable. Its author limits its range to the basin of the 

 Great Lakes. 



CAPREAE. 



Low trees or shrubs with leaves ordinarily broad in propor- 

 tion to their length, generally glabrescent above, mostly tomen- 

 tose beneath, catkins appearing very early, oftenest in pussies, 

 capsules, in our species, villous. 



Key. 



From leaves. 



Leaves ordinarily very tomentose below especially on the 

 rugose veins, venation strongly sunken above, northern. 



5. bebbiana. 



Leaves often glabrous, veins not strongly raised on the 

 under surface, nor depressed above, when hairy often 

 w T ith red-brown hairs. 5 discolor. 



From flowers. 



Catkins appearing with the leaves or only a little while be- 

 fore them, small at anthesis; scales yellow or darkened 

 only at the tip, capsules narrowly cylindric, filaments 

 not coarse nor long. 5. bebbiana. 



Catkins appearing much before the leaves in large pussies. 

 scales dark brown, capsules elongate-conic, filaments 

 coarse, long. S. discolor. 



