THE WILLOWS OF OHIO. 295 



Salix bebbiana Sarg. Bebb.'s Willow. 



A shrub or small tree occasionally reaching a height of S 

 meters, with a habit almost exactly like that of 5. discolor and 

 conspicuously different from that of all of the other shrub wil- 

 lows in that there is scarcely any tendency to sprawl, but the 

 stems all ascend from the root. Leaves generally elliptical, 

 varying from sharply serrate through undulate-serrate to entire 

 or often slightly revolute, generally glabrescent above, wooly be- 

 low at least on the veins, primaries and secondaries prominently 

 raised on the under surface making them very conspicuous, pri- 

 maries rather distant, inclined to be crooked and often forking. 

 The whole system of veins strongly sunken from above. Catkins 

 appearing just before or with the leaves, with leafy bracts or, in 

 fruit, on leafy branches; staminate 3.5 cm. long or less; carpel- 

 late sometimes 6 cm. in fruit; scales yellow or slightly darkened 

 at the tip, pubescent, persistent in fruit; capsule long pedicelled, 

 villous with white silky hair, cylindric, obtuse, sometimes 11 mm. 

 long in fruit. 



Salix bebbiana is found across the northern third of the 

 state. 



This species in its normal forms is very distinct from Salix 

 discolor and can be separated from it withont the least difficulty 

 but the western forms though most keep their flowers like the 

 type, have leaves resembling those of 5. discolor more or less 

 closely; sometimes even so closely as to be indistinguishable 

 from it. One of these plants from the middle west almost half 

 way between the eastern and western forms of the species Dr. 

 Rydberg has named 5. perrostrata. Unfortunately, however, the 

 difficulty in separating the two species, though worst in the west, 

 is not confined to that region. Some specimens from Ohio are 

 so nearly intermediate that they can scarcely be determined, but 

 these are rare. There is no danger of any specimen with mature 

 leaves or in fruit being confused with anv other species than 5. 

 discolor for it resembles none, but both kinds of flowers, while 

 the bracts are yet small, resemble those of 5. petiolaris and the 

 staminate are similar to those of 5. Candida. 



Plate VIII. Salix bebbiana. 



Typical specimens; two fruiting anients one with and the other with- 

 out leafy bracts, natural size; capsule enlarged three times. 



