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peach-leaf willow

black willow

Habit Trees, 4–20 m. Stems: branches flexible to ± brittle at base, yellow to gray-brown, glabrous; branchlets yellow-brown, gray-brown, or red-brown, glabrous. Trees, 5–20+ m. Stems: branches highly brittle at base, red-brown to yellow-brown, glabrous; branchlets gray-brown to red-brown, glabrous or pilose to villous.
Leaves

stipules absent or rudimentary on early ones, foliaceous or rudimentary on late ones, apex rounded;

petiole (margins covering groove, not glandular or with spherical glands distally), 7–21 mm, glabrous or puberulent adaxially;

largest medial blade (sometimes amphistomatous), very narrowly elliptic, elliptic, lanceolate, or lorate, 55–130 × 24–37 mm, 2.8–6 times as long as wide, base convex, cuneate, or cordate, margins serrulate, apex acuminate to caudate, abaxial surface glaucous, glabrous, adaxial dull, glabrous or sparsely pubescent along midrib;

proximal blade margins entire or shallowly serrulate;

juvenile blade glabrous or pubescent abaxially, hairs white and/or ferruginous.

stipules rudimentary or foliaceous on early ones, usually foliaceous on late ones, (glands few or absent adaxially), apex acuminate, acute, or rounded;

petiole (margins covering groove, with spherical glands distally), (2–)3–10(–15) mm, glabrous or pilose adaxially;

largest medial blade (sometimes amphistomatous), very narrowly elliptic, lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, or linear to lorate, (50–)70–103(–190) × (6–)7.5–17(–23) mm, 6–13 times as long as wide, base cuneate to convex, margins serrulate, apex acuminate, acute, or caudate, abaxial surface (not glaucous), glabrous or pilose, hairs white or ferruginous, wavy, adaxial slightly glossy, glabrous or pilose (especially on midribs);

proximal blade margins serrulate;

juvenile blade glabrous or pilose abaxially, hairs white and/or ferruginous.

Staminate flowers

abaxial nectary 0.2–0.7 mm, adaxial nectary narrowly oblong to square, 0.3–0.8 mm, nectaries distinct;

stamens 3–7;

filaments hairy on proximal 1/2 or basally;

anthers 0.5–0.6 mm.

abaxial nectary 0.3–1 mm, adaxial nectary oblong to ovate, 0.2–0.6 mm, nectaries distinct or connate and shallowly cup-shaped;

stamens 4–6;

filaments hairy on proximal 1/2 or basally;

anthers 0.4–0.6 mm, (axes strongly recurved).

Pistillate flowers

adaxial nectary square, 0.1–0.6 mm;

stipe 1.4–3.2 mm;

ovary pyriform, beak slightly bulged below styles;

ovules 16–18 per ovary;

styles 0.2–0.4 mm;

stigmas 0.24–0.31–0.4 mm.

adaxial nectary oblong, (swollen), 0.2–0.5 mm;

stipe 0.5–1.5 mm;

ovary pyriform to obclavate, (rarely pilose), beak slightly bulged below styles;

ovules 12–16 per ovary;

styles 0.1–0.3 mm;

stigmas (sometimes 2 plump lobes), 0.2–0.28–0.36 mm.

Capsules

3–7 mm.

3–5 mm.

Catkins

staminate 23–80 × 5–12 mm, flowering branchlet 3–28 mm; pistillate 41–110(–127 in fruit) × 8–16 mm, flowering branchlet 17–35 mm;

floral bract 1.5–2.8 mm, apex acute to rounded, entire or toothed, abaxially sparsely to moderately densely hairy proximally, hairs wavy; pistillate bract deciduous after flowering.

staminate 35–83 × 7–13 mm, flowering branchlet 5–35 mm; pistillate 23–74(–80 in fruit) × 5–10 mm, flowering branchlet 6–35 mm;

floral bract 1–3 mm, apex acute or rounded, entire, abaxially sparsely hairy, hairs wavy; pistillate bract deciduous after flowering.

2n

= 38.

= 38.

Salix amygdaloides

Salix nigra

Phenology Flowering early Apr–Jun. Flowering (south) early Feb-early May, (north) late Mar-early Jul.
Habitat Moist to mesic floodplains, shores of lakes on sandy, silty, or gravelly substrates, marshes, wet sand dune slacks Floodplains, edges of ponds and lakes, swamps, marshes, white cedar bogs, wet meadows, open fields, roadside ditches, mixed upland deciduous woods along streams
Elevation 60-2400 m (200-7900 ft) 10-1400 m (0-4600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; SD; TX; UT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; ON; QC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
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from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; ON; QC; Mexico (Chihuahua)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Presence of Salix amygdaloides in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont has not been verified; its occurrence in those New England states was reported by H. A. Gleason and A. Cronquist (1991), and by M. L. Fernald (1950).

Hybrids:

Salix amygdaloides forms natural hybrids with S. gooddingii and S. nigra. Hybrids with S. caroliniana (N. M. Glatfelter 1898) and S. eriocephala (M. L. Fernald 1950) have been reported; no convincing specimens have been seen. Controlled pollination between S. amygdaloides and S. eriocephala, S. interior, and S. petiolaris set no seed; controlled pollination with S. lucida produced a few seeds; some seedlings suffered necrosis in the cotyledon stage (A. Mosseler 1990).

Salix amygdaloides × S. gooddingii (S. ×wrightii Andersson): This hybrid occurs throughout the Rio Grande Valley, Texas, and New Mexico (C. K. Schneider 1919; C. R. Ball 1961), and at Happy and Rio Frio, Texas, and Virgil Run, Arizona. The leaves are somewhat glaucous abaxially, as in S. amygdaloides, but they are linear to narrowly elliptic and branchlets are sparsely pubescent as in S. gooddingii.

Salix amygdaloides × S. nigra (S. ×glatfelteri C. K. Schneider) resembles S. amygdaloides in leaves somewhat glaucous abaxially, but usually linear or narrowly elliptic, as in S. nigra. The stipules are not as prominent as in S. nigra but are foliaceous on late leaves; it should be expected wherever the ranges of the two species overlap. The hybrid is common in Missouri, where N. M. Glatfelter (1894) estimated that ca. 40% of the populations were hybrids, and in Illinois (R. H. Mohlenbrock 1980; G. Wilhelm, pers. comm.). Putative hybrids occur also in Ontario. Narrow leaves are typical of juvenile plants of S. amygdaloides but even at that stage they tend to be broadest at the midpoint or toward the base rather than in a midzone as in S. nigra.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Hybrids:

Salix nigra forms natural hybrids with S. alba, S. amygdaloides, S. caroliniana, S. gooddingii, and S. lucida.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 37. FNA vol. 7, p. 36.
Parent taxa Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Protitea > sect. Humboldtianae Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Protitea > sect. Humboldtianae
Sibling taxa
S. alaxensis, S. alba, S. arbusculoides, S. arctica, S. arctophila, S. argyrocarpa, S. arizonica, S. athabascensis, S. atrocinerea, S. aurita, S. babylonica, S. ballii, S. barclayi, S. barrattiana, S. bebbiana, S. bonplandiana, S. boothii, S. brachycarpa, S. breweri, S. calcicola, S. candida, S. caprea, S. caroliniana, S. cascadensis, S. chamissonis, S. chlorolepis, S. cinerea, S. columbiana, S. commutata, S. cordata, S. daphnoides, S. delnortensis, S. discolor, S. drummondiana, S. eastwoodiae, S. elaeagnos, S. eriocephala, S. euxina, S. exigua, S. famelica, S. farriae, S. floridana, S. fuscescens, S. geyeriana, S. glauca, S. gooddingii, S. hastata, S. herbacea, S. hookeriana, S. humboldtiana, S. humilis, S. interior, S. irrorata, S. jejuna, S. jepsonii, S. laevigata, S. lasiandra, S. lasiolepis, S. lemmonii, S. ligulifolia, S. lucida, S. lutea, S. maccalliana, S. melanopsis, S. monochroma, S. monticola, S. myricoides, S. myrsinifolia, S. myrtillifolia, S. nigra, S. niphoclada, S. nivalis, S. nummularia, S. orestera, S. ovalifolia, S. pedicellaris, S. pellita, S. pentandra, S. petiolaris, S. petrophila, S. phlebophylla, S. planifolia, S. polaris, S. prolixa, S. pseudomonticola, S. pseudomyrsinites, S. pulchra, S. purpurea, S. pyrifolia, S. raupii, S. reticulata, S. richardsonii, S. rotundifolia, S. scouleriana, S. sericea, S. serissima, S. sessilifolia, S. setchelliana, S. silicicola, S. sitchensis, S. sphenophylla, S. stolonifera, S. taxifolia, S. thurberi, S. tracyi, S. triandra, S. turnorii, S. tweedyi, S. tyrrellii, S. uva-ursi, S. vestita, S. viminalis, S. wolfii, S. ×fragilis, S. ×jesupii, S. ×pendulina, S. ×sepulcralis, S. ×smithiana
S. alaxensis, S. alba, S. amygdaloides, S. arbusculoides, S. arctica, S. arctophila, S. argyrocarpa, S. arizonica, S. athabascensis, S. atrocinerea, S. aurita, S. babylonica, S. ballii, S. barclayi, S. barrattiana, S. bebbiana, S. bonplandiana, S. boothii, S. brachycarpa, S. breweri, S. calcicola, S. candida, S. caprea, S. caroliniana, S. cascadensis, S. chamissonis, S. chlorolepis, S. cinerea, S. columbiana, S. commutata, S. cordata, S. daphnoides, S. delnortensis, S. discolor, S. drummondiana, S. eastwoodiae, S. elaeagnos, S. eriocephala, S. euxina, S. exigua, S. famelica, S. farriae, S. floridana, S. fuscescens, S. geyeriana, S. glauca, S. gooddingii, S. hastata, S. herbacea, S. hookeriana, S. humboldtiana, S. humilis, S. interior, S. irrorata, S. jejuna, S. jepsonii, S. laevigata, S. lasiandra, S. lasiolepis, S. lemmonii, S. ligulifolia, S. lucida, S. lutea, S. maccalliana, S. melanopsis, S. monochroma, S. monticola, S. myricoides, S. myrsinifolia, S. myrtillifolia, S. niphoclada, S. nivalis, S. nummularia, S. orestera, S. ovalifolia, S. pedicellaris, S. pellita, S. pentandra, S. petiolaris, S. petrophila, S. phlebophylla, S. planifolia, S. polaris, S. prolixa, S. pseudomonticola, S. pseudomyrsinites, S. pulchra, S. purpurea, S. pyrifolia, S. raupii, S. reticulata, S. richardsonii, S. rotundifolia, S. scouleriana, S. sericea, S. serissima, S. sessilifolia, S. setchelliana, S. silicicola, S. sitchensis, S. sphenophylla, S. stolonifera, S. taxifolia, S. thurberi, S. tracyi, S. triandra, S. turnorii, S. tweedyi, S. tyrrellii, S. uva-ursi, S. vestita, S. viminalis, S. wolfii, S. ×fragilis, S. ×jesupii, S. ×pendulina, S. ×sepulcralis, S. ×smithiana
Synonyms S. nigra var. falcata, S. nigra var. lindheimeri
Name authority Andersson: Öfvers. Kongl. Vetensk.-Akad. Förh. 15: 114. (1858) Marshall: Arbust. Amer., 139. (1785)
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