i8 
SALIX 
(a) S. fragilis var. vulgaris Koch Syn. 643 (1837); 5 . fragilis var. genuina Syme Eng. Bot. viii, 206 (1868); 
S. fragilis var. angustifolia Andersson in DC. Prodr. xvi, p. ii, 209 (1868). 
leones: — Svensk Bot. t. 373, as S. fragilis ; FI. Dan. t. 2484, as S. fragilis-, Reichenbach Icon. t. 609, fig. 
1264, as 5 . fragilis-, Hartig Forst. Culturpfl. t. 42, as S. fragilis-, A. et G. Camus op. cit ., Atlas t. 3, as 5 . fragilis. 
Camb. Brit. FI. ii. Plate 20. (a) Shoot with staminate catkins. ( b ) Shoot with pistillate catkins. 
( c ) Barren shoot. ( d ) Staminate flowers (one enlarged), (e) Pistillate flowers (three enlarged). Staminate 
plant from the Cambridge Botanic Garden (R. I. L.). Pistillate plant from Huntingdonshire (E. W. H.). 
Exsiccata : — Billot, 1955, as S', fragilis ; Fries, i, 60, as S. fragilis-, van Heurck, iii, 142, as S. fragilis-, 
Leefe, 51, 52, 53, as S. fragilis-, E. F. et W. R. Linton, 2, 76, as S. fragilis-, 31, 77, as S. fragilis var. britannica ; 
Reichenbach, 1143, as S. fragilis var. androgyna-, Herb. FI. Ingric. ix, 555, as S. fragilis-, herb. White, 86, 166, 280, 
389, as S. fragilis var. britannica. 
Tall tree. Bark of second year’s branches angular at the point of insertion, less highly 
polished than in var. decipiens. Winter-buds brown. Laminae longer than in var. decipiens, less 
deeply and coarsely toothed than in var. latifolia, less glaucous underneath than in var. decipiens, up 
to about 2 cm. broad. Bracts nearly as long as the stamens or ovaries as a rule. Stamens 2. 
Capsules with longer pedicels than in var. decipiens. 
This variety is the common form of the species : it occurs from the Channel Islands, Cornwall, and Kent 
northwards to Forfarshire. 
if) S. fragilis var. latifolia Andersson in DC. Prodr. xvi, pt. ii, 209 (1868). 
leones: — Smith Eng. Bot. t. 1807, as S. fragilis-, Forbes Sal. Woburn, t. 27, as S. fragilis. 
Camb. Brit. FI. ii. Plate 21. (a) Shoot with staminate catkins, (b) Leaves, (c) Staminate flowers 
(enlarged). Huntingdonshire (E. W. H.). 
Exsiccata : — Leefe, 54, 55, as 5 . russelliana. 
Laminae subcuspidate, from about 2*5 — t>‘° cm. wide. Stamens usually 2, sometimes 3. 
There is a broad-leaved form of S', fragilis growing at Kew which may belong to this variety. It has been named S. fragilis 
xtriandra, doubtless because its flowers have sometimes three stamens. The figure by Forbes cited above (t. 27) has two 
enlarged flowers, one with two and the other with three stamens. This broad-leaved plant has little or no resemblance to 
Tausch’s specimens of S. alopecuroides which is usually referred to the hybrid in question. On the other hand, it is not at 
all unlike Host’s figure (Hist. Sal. t. 17) of his S. speciosa, and the figure by MM. Camus (Atlas t. 23) of their x S. speciosa. 
White (op. cit. p. 368) subdivided S. fragilis by the relative length of the bract and flower. When the bract is almost 
as long as the flower, the plant is var. genuina White (loc. cit.) non Syme ; when the bract is only about half as long as the 
flower, the plant is var. britannica Syme. However, these characters can only be judged during a few weeks in the year ; 
and they vary to some extent with the age of the individual flower (cf. S. alba, Plate 23, fig. e ). 
Von Seemen (op. cit. p. 213) refers White’s var. britannica to S. alba x fragilis ; but we do not know on what grounds, 
and fear it was so placed owing to some misapprehension. 
(c) S. fragilis var. decipiens Koch Syn. 643 (1837); Syme Eng. Bot. viii, 206 (1868); S. decipiens Hoffman 
Hist. Sal. ii, i, 9 (1791); Smith Eng. Bot. no. 1937 (1808)!; Eng. FI. iv, 183 (1828). 
leones : — Hoffman op. cit. t. 31, as S', decipiens ; Smith Eng. Bot. t. 1937, as S. decipiens ; Forbes Sal. Woburn. 
t. 29, as S. decipiens. 
Exsiccata : — Fries, ix, 61, as S. fragilis var. decipiens-, Leefe, 50, as S. decipiens ; E. F. et W. R. Linton, 30, 
as S. decipiens. 
A smaller tree than var. vulgaris, frequently only a large shrub. Bark of second year’s 
branches more polished, looking as if varnished, clay-coloured. Branches ascending at an acuter 
angle than those of var. vulgaris ; young ones often of a crimson colour on the exposed side. Buds 
with the outer scales becoming blackish in winter, as in S. pentandra. Laminae smaller, subglaucous 
underneath, white with hairs when young, glabrous at maturity. Catkins dense. Nectaries more 
variable than in the other varieties. Stamens usually 2, occasionally 3. Capsules with shorter 
stalks than in var. vulgaris. Pistillate plants are rare. 
White (op. cit. p. 350) urges the view that var. decipiens is a hybrid of .S', fragilis and S. triandra, whilst the Rev. E. F. 
Linton (in Journ. Bot. xxxiv, p. 464 (1896)), on the whole, opposes this hypothesis. We are inclined to think that the plant 
is a hybrid, with S. fragilis as one parent ; but it is impossible to decide the other parent with certainty on mere morpho- 
logical grounds. 
Smith (Eng. FI. iv, p. 184) regarded it as “truly wild in several parts of England,” and White (loc. cit.) concurs. 
It is planted as an osier, though Smith maintained that its commercial value disappeared after a few years’ cultivation. At 
the present time, the plant may be purchased as S. cardinalis ; and among the dealers the name “ decipiens ” appears to be 
lost. 
Local ; Cornwall and Kent to Perthshire, usually avoiding the hills ; Argyllshire, “ apparently' not planted ” 
(fourn. Bot. xlix, 195 (1911)). Ireland (doubtfully indigenous). 
