Salix cinerea
Salix orestera
gray willow, large gray or gray willow, large gray willow
gray-leaf Sierra willow, gray-leafed Sierra willow, Sierra willow
stipules rudimentary or foliaceous on early ones, foliaceous on late ones, apex acute or rounded;
petiole convex to flat adaxially, 4–15 mm, tomentose adaxially;
largest medial blade elliptic, broadly elliptic, oblanceolate, or obovate, 65–105 × 22–52 mm, 2–3 times as long as wide, base convex or cuneate, margins slightly revolute, entire, crenate, or sinuate, (glands submarginal), apex acuminate or convex, abaxial surface glaucous, tomentose, hairs erect or spreading, curly, adaxial dull or slightly glossy, pubescent or tomentose;
proximal blade margins entire;
juvenile blade yellowish green, sparsely to densely tomentose abaxially, hairs white.
stipules foliaceous, rudimentary, or absent on early ones, foliaceous on late ones, apex acute;
petiole convex to flat, or shallowly grooved adaxially, 4–9 mm, pilose adaxially;
largest medial blade (sometimes amphistomatous), lorate, narrowly oblong, narrowly elliptic, or oblanceolate, 35–95 × 7.5–20 mm, 3.4–7.1 times as long as wide, base cuneate or convex, margins flat or slightly revolute, entire, apex acute, acuminate, or convex, abaxial surface glaucous (sometimes obscured by hairs), sparsely to moderately densely long- to short-silky or pubescent, hairs (white, sometimes also ferruginous), straight or wavy, adaxial dull or slightly glossy, sparsely or moderately densely pubescent or long- to short-silky, (hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous);
proximal blade margins entire or serrulate;
juvenile blade densely long-silky abaxially, hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous.
adaxial nectary oblong or ovate, 0.5–1 mm;
filaments distinct, glabrous or hairy basally;
anthers yellow or purple turning yellow, ellipsoid or shortly cylindrical, 0.7–1 mm.
adaxial nectary oblong or ovate, 0.6–1.1 mm;
filaments distinct or connate less than 1/2 their lengths, hairy basally;
anthers purple turning yellow, 0.6–1 mm.
adaxial nectary oblong or square, 0.4–1 mm, shorter than stipe;
stipe 1.2–2.7 mm;
ovary pyriform, long-silky, beak slightly bulged below styles;
ovules 12 per ovary;
styles 0.2–0.5 mm;
stigmas slenderly or broadly cylindrical, 0.3–0.6 mm.
adaxial nectary oblong or flask-shaped, 0.7–1.3 mm, shorter than or equal to stipe;
stipe 0.8–2 mm;
ovary obclavate or pyriform, short-silky-villous, beak gradually tapering to or slightly bulged below styles;
ovules 15–16 per ovary;
styles 0.6–1 mm;
stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded or pointed tip, or broadly cylindrical, 0.24–0.32–0.44 mm.
5–5.6 mm.
5–10 mm.
flowering before leaves emerge; staminate stout or subglobose, 26–39 × 12–26 mm, flowering branchlet 0–5 mm; pistillate densely flowered, stout or subglobose, 27–54(–75 in fruit) × 4–15 mm, flowering branchlet 1–5(–10) mm;
floral bract dark brown, black, or bicolor, 2–3 mm, apex acute or convex, abaxially hairy, hairs straight.
flowering as leaves emerge; staminate stout, 15.5–34 × 7–14 mm, flowering branchlet 1–8 mm; pistillate moderately densely flowered, stout, 20–55(–65 in fruit) × 11–13 mm, flowering branchlet 2–15 mm;
floral bract dark brown or bicolor, 1.2–2.5 mm, apex acute or rounded, abaxially hairy, hairs straight or wavy.
= 76.
Salix cinerea
Salix orestera
The Ohio occurrence of Salix cinerea is based on information from T. Cooperrider (pers. comm.).
Salix cinerea and S. atrocinerea are very closely related. Their occurrence in the flora area, as naturalized introductions, is not well understood, probably because they usually are introduced under the name S. caprea, and that species often is not treated in North American floristic literature (e.g., C. K. Schneider 1921; M. L. Fernald 1950). They probably are introductions of long-standing brought to the New World for their value as ornamentals and bee-plants. Salix atrocinerea was first documented in the southeastern United States (G. W. Argus 1986) after plants with ferruginous hairs and prominently striate wood were found in North Carolina; since that time, it has been found in other states and provinces. In the northeastern states, S. atrocinerea and S. cinerea are thought to be invasive species. The species do reproduce by seed and hundreds of seedlings were observed in a drained reservoir (A. Zinovjev, pers. comm.) and on sandy pond shores (T. Rawinski, pers. comm.), where they are thought to compete with native species.
The presence of long, prominent, striae on the peeled wood of 4–5 year old branches is commonly used in European literature (K. H. Rechinger 1993; A. K. Skvortsov 1999) to separate Salix cinerea and S. atrocinerea from S. caprea etc., in which the wood is smooth or with fewer, shorter striae. In the flora area, long striae also occur in S. bebbiana, S. discolor, and S. humilis, but usually they are not as long as or as prominent in S. cinerea and S. atrocinerea. Some floras (e.g., F. Martini and P. Paiero 1988) use the relative prominence of striae to separate S. cinerea and S. atrocinerea, but their separation remains difficult. The presence of ferruginous hairs on the leaves of S. atrocinerea is the best diagnostic characteristic, but they are not always present or easily observed. For a comparison of these species, see the key to species under subg. Vetrix. For further discussion of morphologies, see Salix ×smithiana Willdenow [p. 132] and 76. S. discolor.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Salix orestera is so similar to S. glauca var. villosa that it is sometimes included in S. glauca. It is phenetically most similar to S. eastwoodiae and S. lemmonii (G. W. Argus 1997), and the possibility that it is a hybrid or an alloploid involving those species needs study.
Salix orestera can be distinguished from S. glauca var. villosa in having largest medial blades usually narrower, 3.4–7.1 times as long as wide, abaxial surfaces distinctly silky with appressed hairs pointing toward apex, hairs sometimes ferruginous, secondary veins raised abaxially and adaxially, branches often strongly glaucous, and staminate flowers without abaxial nectaries; S. glauca var. villosa has largest medial blades usually broader, 2.2–3.9 times as long as wide, abaxial surfaces usually glabrescent or, if hairy, hairs unkempt, slightly spreading, hairs always white, secondary veins raised abaxially, flat or impressed adaxially, branches not glaucous, staminate flowers often with abaxial nectaries.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
BC
Go Botany
LA Plants
MD Biodiversity
MI Flora
MO Plants
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
CA
OR
Flora NW
