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beak willow, Bebb willow, Bebb's willow, gray or Bebb's or long-beak willow, gray willow, grey willow, long-beak willow

arctic seashore or oval-leaf willow, oval-leaf willow

Habit Plants 0.02–0.05 m, not clonal or forming clones by layering.
Stems

branches divaricate, sometimes ± brittle at base, yellow-brown to dark red-brown, not or weakly glaucous, pilose to glabrescent, peeled wood often with very dense striae, to 25 mm;

branchlets yellow-green or red-brown, moderately to very densely villous to glabrescent.

trailing;

branches yellow-brown, gray-brown, or red-brown, glabrous or hairy;

branchlets yellow-green, yellow-brown, or red-brown, glabrous or pilose.

Leaves

stipules rudimentary or absent on early ones, apex acute, acuminate, or convex;

petiole convex to flat adaxially, 2–5.5–13 mm, pubescent adaxially;

largest medial blade narrowly oblong, narrowly elliptic, elliptic, oblanceolate, or obovate, 20–44–87 × 10–16–45 mm, base cuneate, convex, or rounded, margins flat, entire, crenate, or irregularly serrate, glands submarginal, apex acute, acuminate, or convex, abaxial surface glaucous, moderately densely pubescent or long-silky to glabrescent, hairs white or gray, wavy, adaxial finely impressed-reticulate, dull or slightly glossy, moderately densely pubescent, sparsely short-silky, or glabrescent, hairs white or gray;

proximal blade margins entire, gland-dotted;

juvenile blade yellowish green or reddish, pilose or sparsely to moderately densely tomentose or long-silky abaxially, hairs white.

stipules usually absent or rudimentary, rarely foliaceous;

petiole (deeply to shallowly grooved adaxially), 1.1–16 mm, (glabrous);

largest medial blade hypostomatous, narrowly to broadly elliptic, circular, subcircular, or obovate, 13–46 × 7–20 mm, 1–3.4 times as long as wide, base subcordate, cordate, rounded, or convex, margins slightly revolute or flat, entire, sometimes ciliate, apex convex, rounded, acuminate, acute, or retuse, abaxial surface glabrous, villous, long-silky, pubescent, or pilose, hairs wavy or straight, adaxial highly glossy, usually glabrous;

proximal blade margins entire;

juvenile blade (reddish or yellowish green), pilose, villous, or long-silky abaxially.

Staminate flowers

adaxial nectary oblong or ovate, 0.3–0.8 mm;

filaments distinct or connate less than 1/2 their lengths, glabrous or hairy on proximal 1/2;

anthers yellow or purple turning yellow, ellipsoid or shortly cylindrical, 0.5–0.8 mm.

abaxial nectary 0.6–1 mm, adaxial nectary oblong or ovate, 0.6–1.6 mm, nectaries distinct or connate and cup-shaped;

filaments distinct or connate less than 1/2 their lengths (glabrous);

anthers elliptic, short-cylindrical, or globose, 0.3–0.5(–0.6) mm.

Pistillate flowers

adaxial nectary oblong or square, 0.3–0.8 mm;

ovary obclavate, beak slightly bulged below styles (long-beaked);

ovules 6–16 per ovary;

styles 0.1–0.4 mm;

stigmas slenderly to broadly cylindrical.

abaxial nectary (0–)0.4–0.6 mm, adaxial nectary longer than stipe;

stipe 0.2–1.4 mm;

ovary obclavate or pyriform, glaucous or not, usually glabrous or tomentose, sometimes pubescent or villous, beak abruptly tapering to styles;

ovules 10–15 per ovary;

styles 0.2–0.8 mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with pointed tip, or slenderly cylindrical, 0.32–0.41–0.64 mm.

Capsules

5–9 mm.

5.2–9.6 mm.

Catkins

staminate flowering just before leaves emerge, pistillate flowering as leaves emerge; staminate stout to globose, 10–42 × 7–16 mm, flowering branchlet 0.5–11 mm; pistillate loosely flowered, stout, slender, or subglobose, 16.5–85 × 9–32 mm, flowering branchlet 1–26 mm;

floral bract tawny, 1.2–3.2 mm, apex rounded, abaxially hairy to glabrescent, hairs straight or wavy.

staminate 4.8–46 × 5–11 mm, flowering branchlet 1.5–24 mm; pistillate moderately densely flowered, stout, subglobose, globose, or slender, 6.3–50 × 5–28 mm, flowering branchlet 2.5–22 mm;

floral bract brown, greenish, or bicolor, 1.2–2 mm, apex rounded, entire or, sometimes, 2-fid, abaxially hairy, hairs straight or wavy.

2n

= 38.

= 38.

Salix bebbiana

Salix ovalifolia

Phenology Flowering early Apr-late Jun.
Habitat Riparian and upland conifer forests, wet lowland thickets, Picea mariana treed bogs, stream margins, lakeshores, prairie margins, dry south-facing slopes, cienegas, seeps, disturbed areas
Elevation 0-3300 m (0-10800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; CT; IA; ID; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SD; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; NT; YT; Asia
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Salix bebbiana occurs in Nunavut on Akimiski Island in James Bay.

Hybrids:

Salix bebbiana forms natural hybrids with S. candida, S. geyeriana, S. humilis, and S. petiolaris. Reports of hybrids with S. discolor (C. K. Schneider 1921; M. L. Fernald 1950) are not based on convincing specimens, and synthetic hybrids could not be made (G. W. Argus 1974). Reports of hybrids with S. eriocephala and S. myricoides (Fernald) are unverified. Controlled pollinations with S. eriocephala and S. interior had low seed viability (A. Mosseler 1990).

Salix bebbiana × S. candida (S. ×cryptodonta Fernald, as species) is intermediate between parental species. It resembles S. candida in having juvenile leaves densely woolly, mature leaves sparsely to moderately woolly abaxially, margins strongly revolute to crenulate, and ovaries woolly; and S. bebbiana in having stipes 2.8–3 mm and capsules long-beaked, 8–9 mm. The hybrid commonly occurs in Newfoundland.

Salix bebbiana × S. geyeriana: A plant with the pistillate catkins and flowers of S. bebbiana and the narrow, entire or slightly serrulate leaves with white and ferruginous hairs of S. geyeriana was collected by R. D. Dorn in a mixed population in Montana (Beaverhead County).

Salix bebbiana × S. humilis: Reported by C. K. Schneider (1921) and M. L. Fernald (1950) and successfully synthesized by G. W. Argus (1974, 1986).

Salix bebbiana × S. petiolaris is known from Ontario, based on an infertile pistillate specimen, and from Alberta and Saskatchewan, where it is relatively uncommon. It was successfully synthesized (G. W. Argus 1974, 1986) and controlled pollinations showed high seed viability (A. Mosseler 1990).

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

Varieties 4 (4 in the flora).

The varieties of Salix ovalifolia are relatively minor variants; their ranges overlap and their differences in leaf shape and ovary indumentum intergrade (G. W. Argus 1969, 1973). The only one with a more or less distinctive geographical distribution is var. cyclophylla; where its range overlaps with var. ovalifolia there is intergradation. Variety arctolitoralis, which is characterized by larger leaves and catkins, may be an ecotype. Variety glacialis is known only from near Point Barrow, Alaska. E. Hultén (1968) suggested, probably based on its often tomentose ovaries, that it is S. arctica × S. ovalifolia. All varieties of the species have some plants with hairy ovaries, but the suggestion that this character is an indication of hybridization deserves study.

Hybrids:

Salix ovalifolia forms natural hybrids with S. arctica and S. fuscescens.

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

Key
1. Ovaries usually tomentose, sometimes glabrous; largest medial blades 8.5-14 mm; endemic to Point Barrow, Alaska.
var. glacialis
1. Ovaries usually glabrous, sometimes pubescent or villous; largest medial blades 13-46 mm; not endemic to Point Barrow, Alaska
→ 2
2. Largest medial blades subcircular to circular, 1-1.5 times as long as wide.
var. cyclophylla
2. Largest medial blades narrowly to broadly elliptic, obovate, or subcircular, 1.1-3.4 times as long as wide
→ 3
3. Largest medial blades elliptic, broadly elliptic, or subcircular, 13-28 mm.
var. ovalifolia
3. Largest medial blades narrowly to broadly elliptic or obovate, 25-46 mm.
var. arctolitoralis
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 134. FNA vol. 7, p. 77.
Parent taxa Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Fulvae Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Chamaetia > sect. Ovalifoliae
Sibling taxa
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. 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. nigra, S. niphoclada, S. nivalis, S. nummularia, S. orestera, 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
Subordinate taxa
S. ovalifolia var. arctolitoralis, S. ovalifolia var. cyclophylla, S. ovalifolia var. glacialis, S. ovalifolia var. ovalifolia
Synonyms S. rostrata, S. bebbiana var. capreifolia, S. bebbiana var. depilis, S. bebbiana var. luxurians, S. bebbiana var. perrostrata, S. bebbiana var. projecta, S. depressa subsp. rostrata
Name authority Sargent: Gard. & Forest 8: 463. (1895) Trautvetter: Nouv. Mém. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 2: 306, plate 13. (1832)
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