58 
SALIX 
Section IV. VI MEN 
Vimen Du Mortier in Bijdr. Natuurk. Wetensch. (14) 56 (1825) including Helix , p. 15; in Bull. Bot. Soc. 
Belg. i, 140 et 143 (1862) including Helice , pp. 140 et 145 ; Babington in Journ. Bot. i, 171 (1863) including 
Helice, p. 170; Viminel/a [Seringe Sal. Rev. ined., ex] Duby Bot. Gall, i, 424 (1828) including 5 . daphnoid.es ; 
Viminales Fries FI. Suec. Mant. i, 60 (1832) non Koch. 
For characters, see page 14. 
British series of Vimen 
Series xiii. ^Daphnoides (see below). Shrubs or small trees. Laminae lanceolate to narrowly 
oblong-elliptical, entire or faintly serrate, with silky hairs when young, upper surface glabrous at 
maturity. Catkins stouter than in the other series of Vimen , sessile or subsessile, very early 
flowering. Bracts discolorous. Nectaries long, linear, stalked. Stamens 2, large. Filaments free. 
Anthers free, golden yellow before dehiscence. Styles long or rather long. Capsules usually 
glabrous, sessile or shortly stalked. 
[Series xiv. *Incanae (page 59). Shrubs of sub-Alpine distribution. Laminae linear-lanceolate, margin 
revolute, white with hairs underneath. Catkins subsessile. Bracts concolorous or discolorous. Nectary 1, 
yellow. Stamens 2. Filaments more or less united in the lower half. Styles long. Stigmas bifid. Capsules 
rather slender, elongate, glabrous or pubescent, stalked.] 
Series xv. Viminales (p. 60). Shrubs, usually osiers of lowland distribution. Young 
branches long, straight, flexible. Laminae narrowly lanceolate, margin entire and more or less 
recurved, lower surface white with hairs. Catkins appearing before the leaves, sessile or on short 
peduncles, cylindrical, dense-flowered. Nectaries long, linear, stalked. Stamens 2. Filaments free. 
Anthers free, yellow. Style long. Stigmas long. Capsules pubescent, sessile or shortly stalked. 
Series xvi. Purpureae (p. 65). Shrubs, osiers of lowland distribution. Laminae lanceolate. 
Catkins appearing before the leaves, sessile or subsessile, dense-flowered. Nectaries single, short. 
Stamens 2, but coherent and appearing as if only 1. Filaments wholly coherent, or (in the hybrids) 
more or less coherent. Anthers coherent or (in the hybrids) more or less free, purplish before dehis- 
cence. Style short. Capsules broader than in any of the above series, pubescent, sessile or subsessile. 
Series xiii. * Daphnoides 
Daphnoides nobis; Pruinosae Koch Sal. Comment. 22 (1828); A. et G. Camus Classif. Said. 227 
(1904); v. Seemen in Ascherson und Graebrier Syn. iv, 167 (1909). 
This group connects the sections Vimen and Vetrix. 
For characters, see above. Only British species : — *S. daphnoides. 
18. *SALIX DAPHNOIDES. Plate 58 
Salix daphnoides Villars Hist. PI. Dauph. iii, 765 (1789); Andersson in DC. Prodr. xvi, pt. ii, 261 
(1868) excluding syn. S', cinerea Smith 1 ; A. et G. Camus Classif. Saul. 227 (1904) excluding syn. S. cinerea 
Smith 1 ; v. Seemen in Ascherson und Graebner Syn. iv, 168 (1909) excluding syn. Smith 1 ; Rouy FI. France xii, 
199 (1910). 
Large shrub, attaining a height of 7 — 10 m. Young branches rather flexible and slender, more 
or less viscous when young, purplish at least on the exposed side, glabrous at maturity. Stipules 
usually caducous. Laminae about 5 — 8 times as long as broad, glandular-denticulate at least when 
young, acute to acuminate, usually glabrous at maturity, subglaucous underneath. Catkins rather 
dense-flowered ; February and March, the first willow to come into flower in this country. Stami- 
nate catkins up to about 4 cm. long. Bracts oboval, very hairy. Filaments sometimes united a 
1 It is true that Smith {FI. Brit. (1804), Eng. Bot. (1808), Eng. FI. iv (1828)) cites .S’, daphnoides Villars under S. cinerea. 
Smith believed, on the evidence of a specimen sent to him by Villars himself, that S daphnoides Villars was S. cinerea L. et auct. 
We have seen the specimen in question ; and it is much too imperfect to be of any importance. Smith’s citation of Villars’ 
plant has caused no confusion in this country where 5 . daphnoides is not indigenous and where S. cinerea is the commonest 
species of the genus. Several continental authorities not only cite S. cinerea Smith as synonymous with S. daphnoides 
Villars ; but they also cite S. oleifolia Smith as synonymous with S. cinerea x purpurea (cf. A. et G. Camus op. cit., p. 280), 
and .S. aquatica Smith as synonymous with S. caprea x cinerea (cf. A. et G. Camus op. cit., p. 326). They thus imply that 
Smith was practically unacquainted with the commonest species of Salix of his own country. This is only one, among 
many, illustrations which could be given to show that Salicologists in general have never properly studied Smith’s works. 
