VIL. 2. THE BRITTLE WILLOWS. 263 
old trees covered with whitish and grayish membranaceous 
lichens. Male aments three fourths of an inch long, with 
broader leaves on the footstalk, very silky. Leaves half an 
inch by three inches or more, lanceolate or narrow-elliptic, 
sometimes a little falcate. Stalk rather long, silky above, 
rounded or rarely acute at base, tapering to a long point, ser- 
rate, the serratures glandular and bent towards the point of 
the leaf, sometimes undulate, smooth, often shining, with the 
mid-rib downy above; glaucous, silken, or hairy, sometimes 
smooth, beneath. Stipules half-heart-shaped, ending in an acute 
or blunt point above, serrate. The leaves on the branches near 
the trunk, smaller, more acute, and silky. 
This perfectly well characterized willow is found at Mans- 
field, Ipswich, Ware, Williamstown, and in many other parts 
of the State. Its twigs are long and slender and very tough, 
yet extremely brittle for an inch or two at base, so as to break 
short with little resistance. ‘The leaves blacken in drying, and 
communicate a deep permanent stain to the paper in which they 
are dried or afterwards kept. It promises to be useful to the 
basket-maker, and probably contains, im its extremely bitter 
bark, a valuable dye, as 1t certainly does a great quantity of 
some bitter principle. 
Group Focrtu. Vamendles. SBorrer. 
The basket osier, S. viminddis. L. has been introduced and 
is doubtless found in Massachusetts. I have not found it 
growing. 
Grove Firra. Tue Brirtie Wittows. Fragiles. Borrer. 
Aments stalked, cylindrical, lar, acuminate, erpanding with 
the leaves or after. Scales greenish yellow, downy, or smooth. 
Stamens two to five, expanding first from the base of the ament. 
Ovaries smooth. Leaves lanceolate, or lanceolate-faleate, serrate, 
denticulate, or entire. ‘Trees.—Barratt. 
A less natural group than the preceding. ‘The species would 
fall easily into three sub-groups; S. fragilis, decipiens, Rus- 
sellidna and vitellina, forming the first; S. duezda, the second, 
