PARK AND CEMETERY 
331 
Garden Plants— Their Geography- EXXIX. 
Salicales. 
The Salix, Empetrum, and Ceratophyllum group. 
There are four tribes, seven genera, and 201 species, 
with a large number of varieties in this last grou]:) of 
SALIX BABYLONICA, ST. MARKS CHURCB, NEW YORK, 
apetalfe. Botanists regard the tribes as anomalous. 
The Salicineae and Lacistemeae are amentaceous, the 
former distinguished by fluffy or cottony seeds. As 
for the Empetrete and Ceratophylleae they are of lit- 
tle or no importance to the gardener, but botanists have 
chased them through all the mazes of their multitu- 
dinous systems. I think none of the sciences can 
touch botany for versatility ! Gardeners, as I have 
said before, would be glad if they would keep their 
“systematic” meanderings bounded by some unvarying 
but elastic framework, within which the genera and 
tribes could be moved with facility in the siccus, the 
museums, the books, or the newer gardens. The se- 
ries of higher groups (called alliances) are such a 
framework, capable of artistic treatment on the ground 
anywhere. Salix “willow” has 160 species distributed 
widely over the world, especially in the colder parts of 
the northern hemisphere, south to the Senegal in 
Africa. None so far as known are found in Malaysia 
or Australia, nor do I know that their imprint has ever 
been found on the geologic strata of those regions, or 
for that matter the imprint of anything clearly connect- 
ing such tribes as Empetrege — Ceratophyllese — Gneteae 
— Cycadege, etc., but even if the best of fossils were 
found they couldn’t combine Ihnng plants in what is 
desired by some to appear as a genealogical system. 
They would merely prove that nature has worked in- 
dustriously to break up and destroy whole generations 
of plants. 
The willows and poplars are well marked, but if 
used in too great numbers they become decidedly 
monotonous, therefore anything like a Salicetum is to 
be avoided for all but strictly scientific arrangements 
where the dotting nuisance is tolerated. Scores of 
sjiecies and varieties are scarcely worth their designa- 
tions. Several remain evergreen in moist and sub- 
tropical climates, and maybe “millions of years” ago 
most of them were evergreen, but what does the mind 
of man realize of the processes of nature during such 
immense periods of time ? His life is as a grain of 
sand to the seashores in comparison. Enough for him 
if he can gather the fruits from his garden ! 
These trees and shrubs are commonly rapid grow- 
ers, and prefer as a rule the vicinity of water, or moist 
ground. They may be selected to combine very pret- 
tily. I have known an accidental planting of weeping 
willows and Lombardy pojilars which from a favorable 
position and by moonlight looked like the spires and 
buttresses of a gothic minster, for although one is 
pendulous and the other erect, both are vertical in 
the trend of their branches.. They may be grouped 
admirably, although many would never use them to- 
gether. Eor feathering the foreground, several of the 
bright barked willows are fine, but they should be cut 
down like osiers annually, when their vellow or pur- 
ple bark will be much brighter during winter. It is 
best to select willows in the nurseries, for their syn- 
onomy is more and more of a caution. The midget 
arctic willow gets nearer to the north pole than any- 
thing with a woody stem. James MacPherson. 
