N. 0. SALICINE^. 1223 



into the bark." (Brandis.) Common also in the Punjab ; and 

 planted in the U. P. 



A large, deciduous tree, usually gregarious. Bark thick, with 

 irregular, vertical furrows. Wood moderately hard, compact, 

 even-grained. Sap wood white ; heartwood red, often nearly 

 black near the centre. Height 40-50ft ; trunk attaining 8ft. 

 in girth. Extremities sometimes hoary, buds slightly pubescent, 

 not viscid ; branches terete. Leaves polymorphous ; " those of 

 seedlings, young trees, pollard— and coppice-shoots linear, short 

 petiolate, 3-6in. long ; those of older trees on branches, with 

 short internodes, as a rule broad — ovate, rhomboid or cordate ; 

 blade 2-3in. ; petiole l-2in. The broader leaves are dentate, 

 cut or lobed, while the narrow leaves are generally entire. In- 

 termediate forms frequent on the same tree and on the same 

 branch." (Brandis.) Catkins lax-fid. Male flowers :-- bracts 

 oblanceolate, incised ; disk orbicular, 8-cleft ; stamens 8-12. 

 Female flowers: — disk tubular, 8-12 cleft, membranous, caduc- 

 ous. Capsule turgidly lanceolate, ovoid, sub-sessile, 3-valved, 

 i-iin., on a long, slender pedicel. 



Use : — The bark is used as a vermifuge in the Punjab and 

 Sind. (Stewart.) 



1211. P. alba, Linn., h.f.b.i., v. 638. 



Vern. : — Chitta bagnu, safeda, jangli-frast, fras, chanun 

 (Pb.); Sperdor, spelda (Afg.); Fras (Kashmir). 



Habitat : — N.-W. Himalaya, from Kunawur westwards. 



A lofty tree in Europe ; in India exceeding 40ft. (Brandis.) 

 Leaf-buds, shoots and leaves beneath, white with cottony to- 

 mentum. Leaves oblong— ovate or broadly ovate, dull-green 

 above, or orbicular, sinnately lobed or toothed, palmately on 

 young shoots ; petiole l-2in., laterally compressed. Base 5-nerved, 

 more or less cordate ; catkins hairy. Males 1J-4 ; stamens 6-10. 

 Females slender shoots. Tips crenate, ciliate. Disk stellate ; 

 stigmas 2-2, partate ; arms linear. Carpels pedicelled, 2-valved. 

 Capsule lin., shortly pedicelled. 



Uses : — The bark contains some salicine and acts as a tonic ; 

 used for purifying the blood and in skin diseases. Bark said 

 to be useful in strangury. (Punjab Products.) 



