The Willows in general are more diftinguifhed for their ufes in rural ceconomy, than as ornamental trees or 
fhrubs; neverthelefs, many of them come under the latter defcription, and with them we may rank the prefent 
fpecies, more indeed on account of its flowers than its foliage. When fuffered to grow, it acquires the fize of 
a fmall tree, and the catkins being unufually numerous, render the male plant in particular, in which they are 
of a bright yellow colour, and agreeable fcent, an object highly pleafing among other flowering fhrubs 
or trees. à 
In all Willows planted for ornament, the male tree is to be preferred ; not only becaufe its catkins are ae 
moft brilliant, while the foliage is the fame as that of the female, but becaufe the females, when planted by 
themfelves, quickly fhed their catkins, which make a litter. | 
The leading character of this Willow, when in flower, is its three ftamina to each floret; now and then 
indeed two only occur, but not fufficiently often to deftroy the excellency of the chara&ter: when out of 
flower, it is diftinguifhable by yearly cafting the bark of its trunk when of a certain age (whether every in- 
dividual does this or not, I am not certain; a tree of this fpecies in my garden has conftantly done it for 
many years); its leaves are more ftrongly ferrated than moft others ; the branches in autumn are ufually fur- 
nifhed with ftipule, but not always: and they have another chara&er which I have found of great confe- 
quence in determining this fpecies; towards the top they are angular or grooved, in a greater degree than any 
other Willow I have examined—it 1s not ufual for Willows to flower fpring and autumn, but we have fre- 
quently found this fpecies to do fo. ! 
In its tree ftate, it grows fparingly in the hedges about town; in the ofier grounds it is not uncommon, 
being cultivated as a Bafket Willow—it flowers the beginning of May—the bark has more aftringency but 
lefs bitternefs than the Sa/ix monandra, and has been found efficacious in curing intermitting fevers. 
We ftrongly fufpe& that the amygdalina is no other than this fpecies. 
