WILLOW FAMILY 



453 



a wild state of numerous hybrids. Only the leading types are 

 here described. 



* Leaves convolute ; catkins produced with the leaves ; filaments 

 free, hairy below ; deciduous -peduncle bearing leaves ; capsule 

 smooth. (Including the larger trees in the genus.) 



i. S. pentdndra (Bay-leaved Willow). — A shrub or tree, 6 — 20 

 feet high, with dark brown bark ; handsome and fragrant, broad, 

 ovate, polished leaves, paler beneath ; stamens 5 ; stigma 2-fid. — 

 River-sides in the north ; frequent. The latest flowering Willow. 

 ■ — Fl. May, June. Perennial. 



2. S. tridndra (Almond-leaved, French or Brown Norfolk Wil- 

 low). — Naturally a tree 20 — 30 feet high, but cut down and treated 

 as an osier ; bark flaking ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, 2 — 4 in. long, 

 serrate, glabrous, paler beneath, with large stipules ; stamens 3. 

 — River-banks and osier-beds ; frequent. — Fl. April, May. Pe- 

 rennial. 



3. S. frdgilis (Crack Willow, Withy). — Growing into a large tree 

 with ascending, easily detached branches, but often treated as an 

 osier ; very smooth, highly polished, yellow, orange, or crimson 

 bark; elliptic-lanceolate, serrate, glabrous leaves, 3 — 6 in. long, 

 pale beneath, hairy beneath, with semicordate stipules ; stamens 

 2 ; stigma 2-fid ; capsule stalked. — Osier-beds ; common. — Fl. 

 April, May. Perennial. 



4. S. alba (White or Huntingdon Willow, White Tree). — A large 

 tree, but often pollarded, with furrowed bark; olive-green, silky, 

 not easily detached twigs ; lanceolate, acuminate leaves 2 — 4 in. 

 long, silky on both surfaces, with small, ovate stipules ; stamens 2 ; 

 stigma 2-fid, recurved ; capsule nearly sessile. The Golden Wil- 

 low (S. vitellina) is a form with bright yellow twigs, and the 

 variety c&rulea, the Cricket-bat Willow, is apparently a hybrid 

 between S. alba and S. frdgilis. — Wet places ; common, but often 

 planted. — Fl. April, May. Perennial. 



** Shrubs and small trees, mostly known as Sallows or Osiers ; 

 catkins sessile when in flower ; bracts on peduncle small or absent ; 

 catkin-scales discoloured at the tip ; stamens 2 ; capsule silky. 



5. S. purpurea (Purple Osier, Bitter Willow). — A shrub with 

 slender, tough twigs ; dark red or purple bark ; catkins appearing 

 before the leaves, with purple-black hairy scales ; leaves folded 

 equitantly in bud, lanceolate, serrate, glabrous ; stamens 2, united ; 

 anthers purple, becoming black. — River-banks and marshes ; 

 frequent. — Fl. April, May. Perennial. 



6. S. vimindlis (Common Osier). — A shrub or small tree, with 



