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BEAKED WILLOW. 

 Salix rostrata, Richards. 



FORM — Shrub or small tree, rarely exceeding 20 ft. in height, usually 6-10 ft. high and 3-4 

 inches in diameter. Tnmk short, often inclined and twisted. Crown broad and round-topped. 



BAHK — On trunk thin, smooth, sometimes shallowly fissured, usually scaly, bitter, reddish, 

 grayish, or olive-green. 



TWIGS — At first hairy, later smooth, slender, purplish to brown, with projecting leaf-scars and 

 few lenticels. 



BUDS — Alternate, oblong, narrow, blunt-pointed, about i of an inch long, covered by a single 

 light chestnut-brown scale. 



LEAVES — Alternate, simple, elliptic to oblong, lanceolate, short-pointed to sharp-pointed at 

 apex, wedge-shaped or rounded at base, sparingly toothed or entire on margin, dull green and 

 smooth on upper surface, pale green and prominently veined and hairy on lower surface, 1-3 

 inches long, and i-1 inch wide. 



LEAF-SCARS — Alternate, conspicuous, lunate, somewhat elevated, with 3 conspicuous bundle- 

 scars. 



FLOWERS — Appear about April or May before or during the unfolding of the leaves. Pistillate 

 and staminate flowers occur on different trees. The staminate have 2 stamens with smooth 

 filaments and are arranged in erect and terminal catkins about 1 inch long. The pistillate have 

 hairy and evidently-stalked ovaries and are arranged in catkins about 2-2| inches long. 



FRUIT — A narrowly -ovoid, hairy, evidently-beaked and stalked capsule. 



WOOD — Diffuse-porous; with very inconspicuous medullary rays. Similar to the wood of other 

 Willows. See description under Black Willow, page 90. 



DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS— The Beaked Willow, also known as Bebb's Willow, 

 may be distinguished by its elliptic to oblong-lanceolate leaves which are usually prominently 

 veined and hairy on lower surface. The pubescent, evidently-stalked and beaked capsules 

 are also chavacteristic. The bracts of the catkins are yellow while those of the closely related 

 Glacuous Willow are reddish-brown. 



RANGE — From the valley of the Mackenzie River within the Arctic Circle and the valley of the 

 St. Lawrence to Alaska, south to Pennsylvania, and west to Minnesota and Idaho. One of the 

 most widely distributed species of Willow. 



DISTRIBUTION IN PENNSYLVANIA— Found in the northeastern and northern parts of the 

 State. 



HABITAT — Prefers moist or wet situations but will grow on dry hillsides. Common in swamps 

 and along the borders of streams. In Canada often produces twisted stems which form almost 

 impenetrable thickets. 



IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIES — This species is of no commercial and of little economic 

 importance In Pennsylvania. This is its southern limit. It remains small and is not abundant. 

 Like most of the Willows, it grows in wet situations and will aid in binding the soil, thus 

 preventing erosion and wash-outs. 



