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little-tree willow, northern bush willow

Stems

branches gray-brown to red-brown, not glaucous, glabrous;

branchlets red-brown, glabrous or puberulent.

Leaves

stipules rudimentary on early ones, apex acute;

petiole shallowly grooved adaxially, 3–11 mm, puberulent to glabrescent adaxially;

largest medial blade very narrowly elliptic to elliptic, 38–78 × 7–18 mm, base cuneate or convex, margins slightly revolute, serrulate, apex acuminate, acute, or convex, abaxial surface glaucous (sometimes obscured by hairs), sparsely to densely long-silky, hairs (white, sometimes also ferruginous), straight, adaxial highly or slightly glossy, glabrous;

proximal blade margins entire;

juvenile blade yellowish green, very densely long-silky abaxially, hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous.

Staminate flowers

adaxial nectary oblong, 0.6–0.9 mm;

filaments distinct;

anthers purple turning yellow, ellipsoid to globose, 0.3–0.6 mm.

Pistillate flowers

adaxial nectary oblong or ovate, 0.6–1 mm;

ovary pyriform, beak gradually tapering to styles;

ovules 16–18 per ovary;

styles 0.3–0.5 mm.

Capsules

4–6 mm.

Catkins

flowering as or just before leaves emerge; staminate stout or slender, 17–43 × 5–10 mm, flowering branchlet 0–2.5 mm; pistillate densely to loosely flowered, stout to slender, 20–46 × 6–15 mm, flowering branchlet 0–6 mm;

floral bract tawny or brown, 0.8–1.2 mm, apex convex to rounded, abaxially hairy, hairs straight or wavy.

2n

= 38.

Salix arbusculoides

Phenology Flowering mid May-early Jul.
Habitat Stream margins, lakeshores, openings in white spruce forests, treed bogs, sedge fens, edges of alpine and arctic tundra
Elevation 0-2000 m (0-6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AB; BC; MB; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Glands on leaf teeth of Salix arbusculoides are sometimes covered with fine crystals of sulphur, calcium, potassium, and silicon (R. Cooper, pers. comm.), indicating that they can function as hydathodes as well as resin glands.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 141.
Parent taxa Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Arbuscella
Sibling taxa
S. alaxensis, S. alba, S. amygdaloides, 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
Name authority Andersson: Monogr. Salicum, 147, plate 8, fig. 81. (1867)
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