63 
WESTERN YELLOW WILLOW. 
Salix lutea, foliis ovato-lanceolatis acutis leviter serrulatis 
glabris , stipulis lunatis , amentis prxcocibus brevibus cy - 
lindraceis , germinibus pedicellatis glabris , ramis luteis. 
This is a smallish arborescent species of Willow, 
which inhabits the Rocky Mountain region, and proceeds 
westward to the banks of the Oregon, but is no where 
common. It attains to the magnitude of a small tree, 
and at first glance appears nearly allied to the common 
yellow twigged Willow ($. vitellina), but it never grows so 
large, and is after the very first evolution of the leaf buds 
perfectly smooth, with none of those tufts of hairs which 
in that species appear at the interior base of the bud; it 
likewise possesses stipules, and bears short close catkins, 
with smooth capsules, and the serrulations of the leaves 
are not glandular, indeed scarcely visible, the leaf ap- 
pearing to have a thin and often almost entire diapha- 
nous margin. 
It is at the same time a very elegant and distinct 
species, remarkable for its smooth bright yellow branches 
and pale green, rather small, lucid leaves. It is well 
deserving of cultivation for the sake of variety, and is 
undoubtedly hardy from the climate it inhabits. The 
leaves are rather narrow, more lanceolate than ovate, 
acute, or somewhat acuminate, about an inch and a 
quarter long, and less than half an inch wide. The 
minute serratures or serrulations are rather crowded, 
but very minute and shallow, and not in the least car- 
tilaginous. The young leaves before evolution are 
silky and white beneath, but the pubescence wholly dis- 
appears with their expansion. 
Plate XIX. 
A branch of the natural size with fertile catkins, a. The cap- 
sule. 
