Salix bebbiana
Salix silicicola
beak willow, Bebb willow, Bebb's willow, gray or Bebb's or long-beak willow, gray willow, grey willow, long-beak willow
blanket-leaf willow
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.
branches yellow-brown, gray-brown, or red-brown, not glaucous, villous in patches to glabrescent;
branchlets gray-brown or red-brown, very densely villous.
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 foliaceous, apex acute to acuminate;
petiole convex to flat adaxially, 5–12 mm, villous or tomentose adaxially, (strongly ventricose around floral buds);
largest medial blade (apparently hypostomatous but surfaces obscured by hairs), narrowly oblong, narrowly elliptic, elliptic, or obovate, 36–84 × 19–40 mm, 1.8–3.6 times as long as wide, base convex or cuneate, margins slightly revolute, entire, apex convex or acuminate, abaxial surface very densely woolly-tomentose, hairs wavy, adaxial dull, moderately to very densely, villous-tomentose;
proximal blade margins entire;
juvenile blade color obscured by hairs, very densely tomentose-woolly abaxially, hairs white.
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.
adaxial nectary oblong to narrowly oblong, 0.6–1.5 mm;
filaments distinct;
anthers yellow, ellipsoid, 0.6–0.7 mm.
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.
adaxial nectary oblong or obtriangular, 0.5–1.1 mm;
stipe 0–0.3 mm;
ovary pyriform, beak gradually tapering to styles;
ovules 12–14 per ovary;
styles 1.2–2.2 mm;
stigmas 0.52–0.75–1 mm.
5–9 mm.
4–7 mm.
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.
flowering before leaves emerge; staminate stout, 40–56 × 14–15 mm, flowering branchlet 0 mm; pistillate densely flowered, slender, 35–125(–130 in fruit) mm, flowering branchlet 0 mm;
floral bract brown or black, 2–3 mm, apex convex to rounded, abaxially hairy, hairs straight.
= 38.
= 38.
Salix bebbiana
Salix silicicola
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.)
Comparisons of genetic variation in Salix alaxensis var. alaxensis from British Columbia and S. silicicola from Lake Athabasca sand dunes, Saskatchewan, based on isozyme loci, fit predicted relationships between progenitor and derived taxon (B. G. Purdy and R. J. Bayer 1995). Allelic diversity of S. silicicola was a subset of that of S. alaxensis, there was less genetic variation in S. silicicola than in S. alaxensis, and interspecific genetic variation within the two species was similar and relatively very high. This suggested a recent origin for the derived S. silicicola.
Salix silicicola is a uniform population that differs from S. alaxensis in its very densely villous or tomentose leaves and branchlets. These characters seem to be an adaptation to reduce sand abrasion and water loss in a sand dune environment. It is unlikely that it would have evolved in situ but probably derived from a pre-adapted source such as the one represented by specimens of putative S. silicicola from Pelly Lake, Nunavut. The isozyme study did not include specimens from that population or of S. alaxensis from Northwest Territories from which S. silicicola is likely to have been derived. Occurrence of S. silicicola-like plants in northern continental Nunavut suggests that during the late Pleistocene, it had a wider range, which now is represented by two disjunct populations. The question of appropriate taxonomic rank for the derived taxon is still unresolved. Although S. silicicola is different from S. alaxensis in its general appearance, they are very similar genetically, and argument could be made for treating them as varieties (B. Boivin 1966b).
Hybrids:
Salix silicicola forms natural hybrids with S. brachycarpa var. psammophila.
of conservation concern
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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