Nov., 1903.] Notes on Interesting Ohio Willows. 
NOTES ON INTERESTING OHIO WILLOWS. 
, Robert F. Griggs. 
Among the willows there are, as is well known, very man}- 
hybrids and freaks. These escape description in general works 
because each has an individualiti- of its own and the treatment of 
one is of suggestive value only for others. But to the student of 
dynamic nature these forms are of the most extreme interest as 
giving some clue to nature’s methods of evolution. Likewise 
they are of interest to the si'stematist in a negative waj' because 
they stand in his wai' and prevent the perfect classification of all 
plants into genera and species which he aims to accomplish. This 
general interest is the apology, if apolog}’ be needed, for report- 
ing some of the forms of this sort that have come under observa- 
tion. 
Salix ixterior VAR. WHEELERi Rowlee. 
Since Prof. Rowlee’ s publication not long ago of the variety 
wheeleri of the common long leaved willow, there has been some 
question as to its validity. Dr. Rydberg omitted it entireh’ from 
his revision of the willows in Britton’s ^lanual. These doubts 
maj- be in a great measure due to lack of material of the varietj- 
as, indeed. Prof. Rydberg intimated to me in a letter not long 
since. Neither at Washington nor New York are there specimens 
nor at the time of publication did Prof. Rowlee himself have 
flowering material. Fortunately the plant grows abundantly on 
Cedar Point, and in close proximity to the .species, so that there 
are exceptional opportunities for comparative stiuh-of the two. 
The two characters on which Prof. Rowlee named the variety’ 
were the greater wooliness of the leaves and their relative!}^ 
greater breadth. All who know the long-leaved willow know how 
very variable the leaves are, both in shape and pubescence. 
Young leaves and those at the bases of secondary twigs are 
broader than others, and when the}' first appear the}' are fre- 
quently densely covered with wool, though becoming entirely 
glabrous. 
The hairiness does not seem to have much taxonomic signifi- 
cance. Leaves on the same plant vary from one extreme to the 
other. Narrow leaved plants are almost as likely to be woolly as 
broad leaved. Variation in hairiness is, so far as tlie writer can 
observe, entirely unconnected with variations in other directions. 
But in the breadth of the leaves, the Cedar Point plants much 
exceed the measurements given by Prof. Rowlee. Remaining 
about the length he describes, they are frequently more than two 
cm., or twice as broad. In its extreme development this broad 
leaved form is almost glabrous, not at all hairy as are many of 
