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furry willow, heart-leaf or sand dune willow, heartleaf willow, sand dune willow

bayberry willow, blue-leaf willow

Habit Plants 0.4–3 m, (often forming clones by layering or stem fragmentation). Plants 0.3–5 m, (sometimes forming clones by stem fragmentation or layering).
Stems

branches (sometimes ± brittle at base), red-brown, not glaucous (slightly glossy), tomentose to glabrescent;

branchlets red-brown, moderately to very densely villous.

branches (sometimes highly brittle at base), red-brown or yellow-brown, not or weakly glaucous, (slightly or highly glossy), glabrous or villous;

branchlets red-brown or yellow-brown, glabrous or sparsely to very densely villous, (buds caprea-type, inner membranaceous bud-scale layer free and separating or not).

Leaves

stipules foliaceous, apex acute or rounded;

petiole shallowly grooved adaxially, 1–13 mm, tomentose adaxially;

largest medial blade narrowly oblong, or narrowly to broadly elliptic, 33–88 × 13–45 mm, 1.6–3.2 times as long as wide, base cordate, rounded, or convex, margins flat or slightly revolute, serrulate or spinulose-serrulate, apex acuminate, abaxial surface not glaucous, moderately densely villous to glabrescent, midrib remaining hairy, hairs straight or wavy, adaxial dull or slightly glossy, very densely villous to glabrescent, midrib remaining hairy;

proximal blade margins entire or serrulate;

juvenile blade yellowish green, abaxially villous or midrib long-silky, hairs white.

stipules rudimentary or foliaceous on early ones, foliaceous on late ones, apex acute or acuminate;

petiole shallowly grooved, or convex to flat adaxially, 3.5–7.3–13 mm, (sometimes with 2 spherical glands distally), villous, tomentose, pilose, or pubescent adaxially;

largest medial blade narrowly oblong, narrowly elliptic, elliptic, or oblanceolate, 35–61.3–110 × 11–16–46 mm, 2–2.7–5.2 times as long as wide, base convex, rounded, subcordate, or cuneate, margins flat or slightly revolute, (thickened and raised), crenulate or serrulate, apex acuminate, acute, or convex, abaxial surface usually very thickly glaucous, glabrous or pilose, midribs pubescent to tomentose, hairs (white, often also ferruginous), curved, wavy, or straight, adaxial slightly glossy, glabrous or pilose, midribs sparsely pubescent (hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous);

proximal blade margins entire or serrulate;

juvenile blade translucent, reddish or yellowish green, glabrous or sparsely pubescent abaxially, midribs often densely hairy, hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous.

Staminate flowers

adaxial nectary oblong or narrowly oblong, 0.3–1.3 mm;

filaments distinct, glabrous;

anthers yellow, (ellipsoid or shortly cylindrical), 0.6–0.8 mm.

adaxial nectary narrowly oblong, oblong, square, or ovate, 0.44–0.48–1.4 mm;

filaments distinct, glabrous;

anthers yellow, (ellipsoid or globose), 0.52–0.69–0.76 mm.

Pistillate flowers

adaxial nectary oblong or narrowly oblong, 0.4–1.3 mm, about same length as stipe;

stipe 0.5–1.4 mm;

ovary pyriform or obclavate, glabrous, beak slightly bulged below styles;

ovules 11–24 per ovary;

styles 0.7–1.6 mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded tip, or 2 plump lobes, 0.2–0.3–0.36 mm.

adaxial nectary oblong, narrowly oblong, square, or flask-shaped, 0.56–0.8–1.4 mm, shorter than stipe;

stipe 0.96–1.7–3.4 mm;

ovary pyriform, glabrous, beak slightly bulged below styles;

ovules 12–14 per ovary;

styles (sometimes distinct), 0.3–0.8–1.3 mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded or pointed tip, or slenderly cylindrical, 0.24–0.43–0.56 mm.

Capsules

3.6–7 mm.

5–7–11 mm.

Catkins

flowering as leaves emerge; staminate stout, 17–40 × 8–15 mm, flowering branchlet 1–8 mm; pistillate moderately densely flowered, stout or slender, 27–65 × 8–19 mm, flowering branchlet 3–16 mm;

floral bract brown, 1–2.6 mm, apex acute or rounded, abaxially hairy, hairs straight or wavy.

staminate flowering before leaves emerge, pistillate as leaves emerge; staminate stout or slender, 23.5–35.6–51 × 9–12.7–22 mm, flowering branchlet 1–3.9–10 mm; pistillate loosely flowered, stout or slender, 19–42–62(–85 in fruit) × 8–13–18 mm, flowering branchlet 1.5–5.9–13 mm;

floral bract brown or bicolor, 1.2–1.8–3 mm, apex rounded or acute, sometimes toothed, abaxially hairy, hairs straight or wavy.

2n

= 38.

Salix cordata

Salix myricoides

Phenology Flowering mid Apr-early Jul. Flowering early Apr-early Jul.
Habitat Sand dunes and beaches Stream and lake shores, gravel bars, subalpine conifer forests, alkaline fens, sea cliffs, dry limestone talus, swamps, tidal meadows, sand dunes
Elevation 0-200 m (0-700 ft) 0-1100 m (0-3600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
IL; IN; MI; NY; PA; WI; NL; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
IL; IN; ME; MI; OH; PA; WI; NB; NF; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Salix cordata seems to be rare in Labrador, Newfoundland, and Quebec; the species needs further study in those areas.

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

Plants with densely villous branchlets and branches have been named var. albovestita. Branchlet indumentum varies widely in the species and seems to be continuous, with both villous and glabrous variants sometimes occurring in the same area. This characteristic is more common in populations on the shores of the Great Lakes and on the western coast of James Bay, but even these populations are variable.

Reports of Salix myricoides from Akimiski Island, Nunavut, were based on misidentified S. planifolia. See 68. S. eriocephala for differences.

Hybrids:

Salix myricoides forms natural hybrids with S. bebbiana, S. discolor, and S. glauca var. cordifolia. Hybrids with S. eriocephala have been reported (M. L. Fernald 1950) but no convincing specimens have been seen. Inasmuch as S. eriocephala and S. myricoides are very similar, hybrids between the two would be very difficult to identify.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 106. FNA vol. 7, p. 119.
Parent taxa Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Hastatae Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Hastatae
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. commutata, 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. 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
Synonyms S. adenophylla, S. syrticola S. glaucophylla var. albovestita, S. glaucophylloides, S. glaucophylloides var. albovestita, S. glaucophylloides var. glaucophylla, S. myricoides var. albovestita
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 225. (1803) Muhlenberg: Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berlin Neue Schriften 4: 235, plate 6, fig. 2. (1803)
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