VIL 2. THE SAGE WILLOW. O55 
to several of the species; and in regard to many of the native 
sorts, | have not had opportunitiesof making sufficiently accurate 
and continued observations to authorize me to speak with con- 
fidence. I have received important assistance from Dr. J. Bar- 
ratt, of Middletown, Conn., who has long studied this genus 
with great care; and I shall follow his arrangement of the spe- 
cies, and rely on his authority in describing some as distinct, 
which I should be disposed, from my own imperfect observa- 
tions, to consider as only varieties. 1 am not sufficiently well 
acquainted with them to present a strictly popular view, and 
am therefore obliged to offer that which follows. 
Group First. Tue Sattows. Cineree. SBorrer. 
These are upland, grayish shrubs, more or less downy, espe- 
cially at an early period of their year’s growth, and with leaves 
very light colored beneath. 
“ Their aments are oval or oval-cylindrical, expanding before 
the leaves; stamens two, beginning to expand ai the apex of the 
ament; scales red, afterwards turning black. Younger female 
amenis recurved. Ovaries stalked. Younger stigmas mostly 
red or pale yellow, finally turning green. Leaves obovate, 
lanceolate, mostly very entire, hoary, with white or ashy hairs, 
rugosc; with the margins often revolute.”’—Barratt, Salices 
Americane. 
Sp. 1. Tue Sace Wittow. Saliz tristis. Aiton. 
Leaves long, linear-lanceolate, or oblanceolate, acutely wedge-shaped at base, 
acute, or sometimes rather obtuse, at the end, entire or distantly waved-toothed, 
often revolute at the edge, the upper surface somewhat downy at first, after- 
wards smoothish ; the under surface glaucous or whitish, sometimes downy, 
sometimes rugose with prominent smooth veins; stipules minute, narrow, 
lanceolate, caducous; aments very small, coming out before the leaves ; 
scales oblong-roundish, hairy at the margin, turning black ; ovaries stalked, 
covered with a grayish, silky down ; style short. 
The two varieties which have usually been considered as the 
species, fristis, and Muhlenbergiana, run into each other, and are 
properly considered by Dr. Barratt as forms of a single species. 
They are found on dry, sandy plains, the smaller variety con- 
