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under-green willow, variable willow

Tracy's willow

Habit Plants 0.2–3 m. Stems: branches yellow-brown, gray-brown, or red-brown, not or weakly glaucous, pilose; branchlets yellow-green, yellow-brown, or red-brown, pilose to densely villous or woolly. Shrubs, 1–6 m. Stems: branches gray-brown to red-brown, strongly to weakly glaucous, glabrous; branchlets yellow-brown to red-brown, (weakly glaucous), glabrous or sparsely to moderately densely velvety or tomentose.
Leaves

stipules (sometimes marcescent), foliaceous, apex rounded or acute;

petiole shallowly grooved or convex to flat adaxially, 1.5–11 mm, pilose or tomentose adaxially;

largest medial blade (sometimes amphistomatous), narrowly oblong, oblong, elliptic, or broadly elliptic, 10–100 × 5–44 mm, 1.5–3.4 times as long as wide, base convex, rounded, subcordate, or cordate, margins flat or slightly revolute, entire or serrulate, apex acuminate, acute, or convex, abaxial surface not glaucous, moderately densely tomentose, villous, or pilose to glabrescent, hairs wavy or straight, adaxial dull or slightly glossy, pilose or moderately densely villous to glabrescent;

proximal blade margins entire or shallowly serrulate;

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

stipules absent, rudimentary, or foliaceous on early ones, foliaceous on late ones, (2.5–9 mm), apex rounded or convex;

petiole convex to flat, or shallowly grooved adaxially, 5–11 mm, tomentose or velvety adaxially;

largest medial blade lorate, oblanceolate, or elliptic, 55–96 × 15–34 mm, 2–3.7 times as long as wide, base convex, margins slightly revolute, entire, sinuate or serrulate, apex acuminate to acute, abaxial surface glaucous, sparsely pubescent to moderately densely tomentose or glabrous, hairs (white, sometimes also ferruginous), straight or curved, adaxial slightly glossy, sparsely tomentose to glabrescent;

proximal blade margins entire or serrulate;

juvenile blade reddish, very densely tomentose or puberulent to glabrescent abaxially, hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous.

Staminate flowers

adaxial nectary oblong or square, 0.2–0.8 mm;

filaments distinct, glabrous;

anthers yellow or purple turning yellow, 0.4–1 mm.

adaxial nectary narrowly oblong, oblong, or ovate, 0.3–0.8 mm;

filaments connate less to more than 1/2 their lengths;

anthers purple turning yellow, ellipsoid, shortly cylindrical, or globose, 0.36–0.44 mm.

Pistillate flowers

adaxial nectary oblong, square, or ovate, 0.3–0.7 mm, shorter than stipe;

stipe 0.3–2 mm;

ovary pyriform or obclavate, glabrous, beak gradually to abruptly tapering to styles;

ovules 10–28 per ovary;

styles 0.5–1.5 mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded tip, broadly cylindrical, or 2 plump lobes, 0.16–0.34–0.4 mm.

adaxial nectary oblong, or narrowly oblong to flask-shaped, 0.2–0.6 mm;

stipe 1–1.7(–2.4) mm;

ovary pyriform, beak sometimes slightly bulged below styles;

ovules 12 per ovary;

styles 0.1–0.6 mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded or pointed tip, 0.1–0.3 mm.

Capsules

3.5–8 mm.

2.4–3.6 mm.

Catkins

flowering as leaves emerge; staminate stout or subglobose, 15–37 × 8–20 mm, flowering branchlet 2–33 mm; pistillate densely or moderately densely flowered, slender, stout, or subglobose, 17–60 × 7–15 mm, flowering branchlet 3–15(–30) mm;

floral bract tawny, brown, or bicolor, 1–3 mm, apex acute or rounded, abaxially hairy, hairs straight or wavy.

flowering as or just before leaves emerge; staminate stout, 17–30 × 7–9 mm, flowering branchlet 1.5–5 mm; pistillate very densely flowered, stout to slender, 17–42 × 6–11 mm, flowering branchlet 1.5–3 mm;

floral bract brown or bicolor, 0.8–1.6 mm, apex rounded to truncate, abaxially hairy throughout or proximally, hairs wavy or straight.

2n

= 38.

Salix commutata

Salix tracyi

Phenology Flowering late May-mid Aug. Flowering early Apr-early May.
Habitat Rocky alpine and subalpine slopes, glacial moraine, open spruce woods, streamsides, gravel benches along streams, wet fens Shores and floodplains, sandy, gravelly, or rocky substrates, often serpentine
Elevation 0-2400 m (0-7900 ft) 90-500 m (300-1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; ID; MT; OR; WA; AB; BC; NT; SK; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The rare occurrence in Salix commutata of plants with ovary indumentum composed of divergent, straight or wavy, flattened hairs may be hybrids with 53. S. eastwoodiae (see for discussion and comparison).

Hybrids:

Salix commutata forms natural hybrids with S. barclayi, S. barrattiana, and S. eastwoodiae.

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

Ball described Salix tracyi as part of a group of “more or less localized endemic willows of northern California and southern Oregon.” A. K. Skvortsov (1971), followed by G. W. Argus (1993), thought that this species was a stunted form, perhaps shade-growth, of S. lasiolepis. R. D. Dorn (2000) studied the taxon in the field and considered it to be a distinct species. He noted that it could “usually” be separated from S. lasiolepis by its shorter styles, longer stipes, less hairy floral bracts, shorter catkins, thinner, less hairy leaves, and reddish juvenile leaves. He also noted differences in flowering times but they overlap completely. The differences are subtle and, although not diagnostic, should be studied further. Salix tracyi is treated here as a species because of its relatively large, localized range and interesting biological and morphological characteristics. Local botanists making collections from tagged individuals could provide useful information on habitat, elevation, flowering time, and morphology. Experimental study of this and the other serpentine endemic Salix in the region (see also 110. S. breweri and 111. S. delnortensis) could provide insights into their evolution and their relationship with S. lasiolepis.

A numerical taxonomic study by T. J. Crovello (1968) found that Salix tracyi clustered with members of sect. Cordatae, but both G. W. Argus (1997) and R. D. Dorn (2000) placed it in sect. Mexicanae with S. lasiolepis.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 105. FNA vol. 7, p. 156.
Parent taxa Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Hastatae Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Mexicanae
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. commutata var. denudata, S. commutata subsp. mixta, S. commutata var. puberula, S. commutata var. sericea
Name authority Bebb: Bot. Gaz. 13: 110. (1888) C. R. Ball: Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 17: 403, plates 69, 70. (1934)
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