580 SALIX. 
The present species is particularly distinguished by the 
length, as well as delicate slenderness of its twigs, and its 
sub-glaucous spurge-like leaves, but above all, by their ex¬ 
treme bitterness when chewed. The leaves vary greatly both 
in size and breadth, and still more in their notchings. The 
stalks also vary much in colour, being sometimes almost 
yellow. The leaves on the summits of the twigs are some¬ 
times found towards the end of August of a brilliant red 
colour. The tops of the branches are found expanded into 
little squamous heads (as in the alba and others), somewhat 
resembling roses; this is the work of an insect. The anthers, 
before they open, are of a bright orange colour.—Native of 
many parts of Europe. It grows sparingly in the neighbour¬ 
hood of London, commonly in hedges, sometimes in osier- 
grounds, where it is introduced accidentally: in some parts 
of the north of England, there is no willow more common. 
The extreme bitterness of the leaves and twigs, renders it 
very valuable for many purposes. When used as a band or 
withe, it is never eaten by vermin; nor, when formed into 
a hedge, is it browsed on by cattle; even insects prey on it 
much less readily than on the other species. 
16. Salix helix, or rose willow.—One-stamened, leaves 
lanceolate acuminate serrulate smooth, style elongated fili¬ 
form, stigmas linear.—This rises to the height of nine or ten 
feet, and is a small slender tree. 
The rose-like excrescences are more common at the end 
of the branches in this species; whence its name of rose- 
willow.—Native of several parts of Europe, in osier-holts 
and marshes: flowering in March and April. 
17. Salix fissa, or basket osier.—This is a shrub four or 
five feet high, with upright flexible and very tough branches, 
of a yellowish ash-colour, often purplish. Leaves alternate, 
on footstalks, two or three inches long, minutely toothed or 
somewhat serrate, principally towards the top; smooth on 
both sides except when very young; dark green above, 
glaucous beneath. Stipules none. Catkins on short stalks, 
cylindrical, first red, then yellow, flowering first at the top. 
The two stamens are united from the base about half way to 
the top. Anthers two-lobed, yellow. Germ ovate, acute, 
hairy. Style short. Stigmas oblong, undivided.—Native 
of some parts of Europe on the sandy banks of rivers, 
flowering in April, and ripening the seed in May. With us 
it is cultivated in the fens, and preferred to all other willows 
or osiers for basket-work. 
18. Salix rubra, or red osier —The branches of this 
shrub are very long, slender, tough. Stipules, if present, 
linear-lanceolate, a little toothed; but generally wanting. 
The female catkins differ but little from the preceding, 
except in having thicker almost ovate stigmas. This 
species appears to be little known, though among the 
most valuable as an osier.—Native of England and France 
in osier-holts, but less common; it flowers in April and 
May. 
19. Salix croweana, or broad-leaved monadelphous 
■willow.—Monadelphous, leaves elliptic, subserrate, very 
smooth, glaucous underneath.—This scarcely rises to the 
height of a tree. Branches short and spreading, rather brittle, 
clothed with a shining yellowish or purplish bark. Leaves 
on footstalks, obovate, somewhat pointed, scarcely an inch 
and a half long, slightly serrate, bright green and shining 
above, glaucous and veiny beneath. Catkins nearly sessile, 
of a short somewhat ovate form. Scales obovate, black, 
very hairy. Stamens pale lemon coloured, longish, their 
filaments united from the base to a greater or less distance, 
sometimes almost to the top. Anthers reddish.—Native of 
Norfolk. It flowers in April and May. 
20. Salix myrsinites, or wortle-leaved willow.—A shrub 
with a smooth bark of a dark brown or blackish colour, and 
diffused but upright branches. Leaves during the flowering 
ovate or obovate, smooth on both sides, thin and nearly 
transparent, finely and acutely toothed, on short stiff leaf¬ 
stalks: afterwards an inch broad, and more than an inch 
long, both sides of the same colour, serrate all round, pointed 
at the end. Male catkins crowded, oblong or ovate-oblong. 
from an inch to an inch and half in length, stamens two: 
nectary one. Female catkins shorter than the other when 
in flower, ovate-oblong. Capsule on a pedicel, very smooth. 
—Native of the mountains of Scotland, Lapland, Norway, 
Germany, Switzerland, Dauphine and Italy. 
21. Salix arbuscula.—Scarcely a foot high, growing in 
form of a little tree. Stems slender, filiform, branched, 
reddish. Leaves lanceolate, acuminate at both ends, on 
very thin loose petioles, serrate on both sides with notches 
so small as to be scarcely visible. Stipules none. In cul¬ 
tivation it grows to the height of a man, and has thicker 
leaves.—Native of Lapland. 
22. Salix herbacea, or herbaceous willow.—Leaves serrate 
smooth orbicular.—This, though named herbacea, is not 
properly an herbaceous plant, but truly a shrub or tree, and 
the smallest yet known; being only from one to three 
inches in height. The bark is ash-coloured or brown. 
Branches irregular, knotty, scarcely an inch in length, 
striking root, having seldom more than three leaves.-— 
Native of many parts of Europe, on high mountains. In 
the northern counties of England, Scotland and Wales: 
flowering in June and July. 
23. Salix retuse, or blunt-leaved willow.—About the size 
of the preceding. The leaves have parallel veins. Leaves 
very smooth and shining, elliptic, the younger and lower 
ones perfectly round, on the longer branches lanceolate, 
serrate. Catkins constantly smooth, with large ovate blunt 
smooth scales, and two long stamens; they have few flowers, 
and on the highest Alps occur with one flower only.— 
Native of Dauphine, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy. 
24. Salix decipiens.—Leaves serrate smooth lanceolate 
petioled, the lower ones smaller obovate reflex.—This is a 
tree or shrub with abundance of diffused scattered branches, 
brittle especially at the joints: bark shining green or yellow, 
somewhat cinereous. Male catkins two to five, scattered, 
alternate. Stamens two, seldom three. Nectaries two. 
Female catkins also scattered, more numerous than the males, 
alternate, erect, cylindrical.—Native of Europe, on the 
banks of rivers: flowering in May. The capsules ripen in 
June. 
25. Salix arbutifolia, or arbutus-leaved willow.—Leaves 
obovate acute serrate smooth.—Branches upright, annual 
shoots short, alternate, very leafy. It is a low shrub 
found about the lake Baikal, and in all the east of Siberia 
to Kamtschatka. 
26. Salix divaricata, or straddling-branched willow.— 
Trunk the thickness of the human finger or thumb, very 
much and forkedly branched from the very bottom: branch¬ 
es very short, rigid, pressed close to the ground, brownish 
yellow. Leaves at the ends of the branches, in some lan¬ 
ceolate, almost entire; in others ovate-lanceolate, largely 
toothed with blunt and somewhat waved serratures. Female 
aments among the leaves, subsessile, leafless, scarcely an 
inch long, clustered, having a thick close down.—Found 
on Sochondo, one of the loftiest mountains of Dauria, spread¬ 
ing itself on the granite rocks. 
27. Salix rhamnifolia, or buckthorn-leaved willow.— 
Leaves ovate obtuse serrate smooth glaucous underneath.— 
Twigs scarcely a foot long, bay-coloured, and branched a 
little.—Found in the sub-alpine marshes of Siberia from Obo 
to Baikal. 
28. Salix berberifolia, or barberry-leaved willow.— 
Leaves sessile ovate tooth-serrate veined shining.—This is a 
little shrub, spreading over rocks that are covered with moss, 
about the size of Arbutus Alpina, with a trunk at most the 
size of the little finger, with a yellowish and somewhat 
jointed bark, more rugged on the trunk; with shortish 
branches crowded and twisted together. Male catkins 
among the old leaves, from the terminating buds, the length 
of the leaf, thin, with distant villose scales, two or three- 
stamened. Female catkins shorter than the leaf with few', 
biggish, clustered capsules.—Native of Russia, in watery 
places throughout the temperate and southern parts to the 
limits of Caucasus. 
II.—Leaves 
