7. Salix crassa* Barratt ; leaves elliptic-lanceolate, rather dis- 
tantly serrate ; towards the base entire — 3| inches long, 1 inch broad, 
above glabrous dull green, beneath veined and clothed with short ferru- 
ginous hairs; adult leaves subcoriaceous. The under surface in au- 
tumn is glaucous and partially divested of its pubescence. Stipules 
small lanceolate serrate or frequently wanting — mas. ament ovate 
sessile f to 1 inch long ; after flowering 2 inches long, densely cloth- 
ed with yellowish white silky hairs ; scales obovate. Capsules pedi- 
cellate, ovate-lanceolate. 
Flowers April 1-10; capsules ripe May 4-G. 
Eng. Dense flowered early Willow. 
A small tree about 15 feet high ; bark on the eaudex rough and ash 
colored; branches irregular and knotty; twigs thick, and densely 
flowered. The ends of the young branches protected by a soft pu- 
bescence. 
This is a very hardy species, and one of the handsomest early 
Willows we possess, and highly ornamental in plantations. A few 
sunny days in spring will cause its rich yellowish white catkins to 
expand or open, it is so admirably adapted to withstand cold by its 
dense soft hairs, that the frosts of spring retard, but do not injure or kill 
its expanded catkins. The clothing or wool of the aments, is not sensi- 
bly changed in color by the solar ray. This species is rather rare 
with us, and may possibly befoundmore plentifully in higher northern 
latitudes. It seems indeed to possess all the fitting- re quisites for en- 
during a severe climate; and affords a beautiful exemplification of 
nature’s economy, in the structure of the catkins of the V\ illow, pro- 
viding those exposed during flowering time to severe cold, with a ves- 
ture which outvies the imperial ermine. 
8. Salix sensitiva* Barr ait ; leaves ovate-lanceolate acumi- 
nate; cuneate and entire at the base, finely serrate at the point; and 
more distantly and strongly serrated towards the base: leaves 3-5 
inches long, 1 |-2 inches wide ; glabrous ; above d< ep green, be- 
neath smooth and pale green, and of athinish textur.e. Stipules subfal- 
cate serrate. Mas. aments rather lax, 1| inch long; scales lanceo- 
late black, lightly clothed with grayish black hairs. Aments and 
flowering branches frequently destroyed by frost. 
Flowers April 1-1 0. 
Eng. Frost or tender Willow. 
A small tree about 15 feet high. This species has not hitherto 
been described, It bears large smooth leaves with greenish branches. 
The aments and twigs are frequently destroyed by frost in flowering 
time. I have attentively observed this remarkable Willow for ten 
years, and have found the same tree in full flower and uninjured but 
once in that period ; this was April 2, 1832. It again flowered par- 
tially in 1838 ; this being a late spring, it then began to flower April 
8; all the early aments were killed by frost, and its further flowering 
was retarded till April 1 29, when it flowered somewhat freely. In 
1839, the aments opened March 25. This was an early spring. The 
following night the frost killed ail the flowers with the branches 2 or 
3 feet long. The spring of 1840, another early season, has again 
demonstrated the liability of this Sensitive Willow to he destroyed by 
frost. When it has been thus killed, the aments and branches black- 
en ; afterwards some scattering flowers appear, but these are generally 
of inferior size. 
The twigs of S. sensitiva at their extremities have but a slight vel- 
vety pubescence to protect them ; and the aments are sparingly clothed 
with hairs. It offers a striking contrast to S. crassa, with its dense, 
woolly catkins, which are uninjured by the frosts to which they are 
exposed during the period of flowering. When the catkins of S. 
sensitiva begin to expand, on the approach of the flowering season, the 
large scales of the hods, or shields, covering the aments, fall, or when 
these are purposely removed for observation, the amentspresent a live- 
ly red color. The direct solar ray soon changes the scales of the 
aments black, (very similar to the action of nitrate of silver, when ex- 
posed to light, but less lapid.) The hairs of the ament are, also, chang- 
ed to a blackish gray. An attentive observance of this and some other 
Willows, has satisfied me, that the hairs or clothing of the scales of 
the catkins, besides protecting them from frost, perform in this and 
other groups, a function similar to the scales of the ament; and the 
scales are manifestly only modified leaves. This subject I have 
treated at length in my mss. Essay on the Willows, and can here only 
briefly advert to these interesting facts. 
Sect. III. GRISES 
Amenta cylindracea sub-brevia, prsecocia, stamina 2, 
medio amenti pJerumque prorumpentia. Germina sessilia 
vel stipitata griseo-sericea. F olia laneeolata serrata, subtus 
griseo-sericea ; siccitata nigricantia. Frutices, rami& 
basi fragilibus, cortice intense amara. 
Barratt in Hooker Flor Bor-Amer., II, p. 148*. 
Salix petiolaris, the first on the list in this section, has its aments 
frequently recurved, and of a ferruginous red color. The anthers 
mostly begin to expand about the middle of the ament With this 
species, as well as with the rest of the Griseae, there are two or three 
small leaves at the base of the ament, not more than a line long. These 
being so small do not exert an influence to- change the order of flow- 
ering, so conspicuously exemplified in the Fragiles, with their large 
floral leaves. Sometimes the mas. aments have the black coloring 
matter in the floral leaves, like the scales of the ament. This col- 
oring matter in the tips of the scales, is intensely black. The cap- 
sules are ripe before the leaves are full grown. 
9. Salix petiolaris Smith Trans. Linn. So c. VI, p. 122: Eng. 
Bot. XVI, t. 1147. Smith Flor. Brit. 1048. Pursh Flor. Am. 
II, p. 616. Salict. Wob.p. 45, t. 23 / Hooker Brit. Flor. 3d, 
Ed. p. 423. 
Flowers April 15. 
Eng. Long-stalked green, osier. 
This is undoubtedly a native Willow, since Both sexes are found 
here plentifully. The staminate plant was unknown in Great Britain 
till transmitted by mo, in the living state. There are several varieties of 
it; some with narrow leaves. Mr. Hopkins, an experienced basket maker 
of this place, assures me that the green osier, from a locality he na- 
med, and which I purposely examined 1 proves to be this species, and 
furnishes the best twigs of any Willow he knows when proper ly culti- 
vated and headed. The twigs are hard:, tough, and elastic, and twist 
well for handles : but for the finest kinds of work, he uses the twigs of 
S. nigra, or the Wicker Willow, and for the stronger kinds of work 
S. rigida and S. cordata. S. petiolaris abounds most in low grounds 
on the road to Haddam. Many varieties with green, yellowish green, 
and purple twigs, might there he selected for cultivation as an osier. 
I have also founds petiolaris in the vicinity of Newburg, New York. 
It furnishes long, smooth twigs with small buds; the twigs are less 
tapering than is usual, which enhances their value to the basket- 
maker. 
9. Salix petiolaris. Mas. aments. 
9. Salix petiolaris. Fcern. 
9. Salix petiolaris, 
Var /3 angustata. Barratt 
10. Salix grisea 'Willd. sp. pi. IV, p. 699. Pursh 646. Darling- 
ton FI. Ccest. p. 516. = Si pennsylvanica. Forbes Sal. Wob. 
(var maxima.) p. 189, t. 95. = S. sericea Muhl. 1. c. Mag. 
Nat. Fr. Ber. p. 239, el Flor. Lancast. MSS. II, 775. Marshall 
Arb. 140. 
Flowers, April 18; capsules ripe,. May 20. 
Eng. Gray brittle Willow. 
This species appears to be of little value except in embankments and 
filling up stagnant swamps. The leaves blacken in drying. The 
branches and twigs are very brittle at the base, and frequently are 
subject to be attacked by insects, which occasion oval enlargements 
on the branches When headed, this species furnishes long slender 
twigs; but of their actual value to the basket-maker, I have no satis- 
factory information. 
