The Willows are a tribe of plants, not lefs diftinguifhed for their great utility in rural economy, than for ~~ 
the difficulty which has hitherto attended the afcertaining of the feveral fpecies: it will, perhaps, be found, 
that this difficulty is not peculiar to the Willows, but that a vaft many other plants are fubjeét to an equal 
inconflancy of appearance from fimilar caufes: we are not to be difheartened in our refearches, becaufe we 
meet with difficulties, they ought rather to incite us to a more diligent examination, and if we do not fucceed 
at one time, we probably fhall at another; we have found, by experience, that the eye does not at all times 
poffefs the fame degree of acutenefs, and that the chara&er of a plant, which, at one period, has been over- 
looked, at another, has formed its moft prominent feature, 
Impreffed with thefe ideas, we fet about inveftigating the Willows, with the greater pleafure, indeed, as we 
find, on examining them, that the parts of fruétification, hitherto but little noticed, are capable of throwing 
a great light on the fubje& : the ftamina in fome, and the piftilla in others, differ in their appearance beyond 
expectation. ‘Thus the male plant of the prefent fpecies, if every other chara&ter were wanting, would be 
. diftinguifhed when in flower from our other Willows, by its flamina alone; each fcale of the catkin produces 
one filament only ; hence, according to Linnean ufage, it is called monandrous: but, it is very remarkable, 
that though there is only one filament, it fupports two anthere, and hence, in ftri@ propriety, it may be 
confidered as diandrous. The anthere, before they open, are of a bright orange colour, and impart to the 
catkin an appearance ftrikingly beautiful; the female catkins are fimilar in fhape, but want the brilliancy of. 
the male. 
Unfortunately the flowering period in the Willows is of fhort duration; during the dreateft part of the 
fummer, we have no flowers to affift us in our inveftigations, and even during that period, it frequently 
happens, efpecially in the cultivated Willows, which are ufually raifed from cuttings, that we can difcover 
one fex only ; it 1s not fo, indeed, in thofe Willows which are more in a flate of nature, yet, when the 
flowering is over, fize, mode of growth, leaves, flipulz, or fome other part of the plant, will generally afford 
a good {pecific chara&er. 
The prefent fpecies, when out of bloom, is particularly diftinguifhed by the length, as well as delicate. 
flendernefs of its twigs, and its fubglaucous fpurge-like leaves, but, above all, by their extreme bitternefs 
when chewed, itis for this reafon we have called it the dztter Willow. 
Thefe feveral chara&ers, which are not liable to vary, and fome of which are always prefent, will, if in the 
leaft degree attended to, readily difcriminate this fpecies. The leaves of moft of the Willows are unfortunately 
fubje& to a great diverfity of appearance from a variety of caufes; thofe of the monandra are by no means 
exempt from this inconftancy of appearance ; they vary greatly, both in fize and breadth, and {till more in 
the notchings of the leaves (fee the defcription) the ftalks alfo vary greatly in colour, being fometimes almoft 
yellow : the leaves on the fummits of the twigs are fometimes found towards the end of Auguft, of a brilliant 
red colour, which produces a moft charming effe& ; this fingularity is, however confined to particular plants : 
the tops of the branches are fometimes found expanded in this Willow into little fquamous heads, fomewhat 
refembling rofes, whence, by fome, it has been called rofe Willow; this is the effe& of an infect, and, of 
courfe, accidental. ! 
The /alix monandwva grows fparimgly in the neighbourhood of London, it is found moft commonly in 
hedges, fometimes in ofier-grounds, where it is accidentally introduced; in fome parts of the North of 
England, there is no Willow more common ; it is the earlieft in bloom of any of the Willows we are acquainted 
with, flowering in mild feafons, by the end of February, ufually before the Caprea. 
The extreme bitternefs of the leaves and twigs of this fpecies, renders it very valuable for many purpofes. 
When ufed as a band or withe, it is never eaten by vermin; nor, when formed into a hedge, is it browfed 
on by cattle; even infeéts prey on it much lefs readily than on the other fpecies. In [ome parts of Yorkfhire, 
its twigs are ufed for making the fineft forts of bafket-work; and, from the obfervations we have made, we 
fhould think it might be advantageoully cultivated for fuch purpofes. _ By way of experiment, we one year 
planted a row of cuttings of all the common Willows, and were furprifed to find, that the very longeft one- 
year's fhoot was that of the bitter Willow, it exceeded even that of the Ofier (Salix viminalis ) which was the 
next longeft. 
The bark of fome of the Willows has been ufed as a fubflitute for the Peruvian Bark in the cure of agues ; 
that of the prefent fpecies, from its extreme bitternefs, may probably prove more efficacious. 
Fhe leaves of this plant become of a blueifh black colour in drying. 
Profeffor Horrman, who has publifhed fome very accurate figures and defcriptions of the Willows, indif- 
putably proves, that the purpurea and helix of Liww.&us are one and the fame fpecies; he, therefore, 
confidering them as fuch, rejects both thofe names, and adopts that of AKDUINI; concurring, from the moft 
perfest conviclign, 1n opinion with the le rned Profeflar, we follow him in this inflance of reform. 
