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Geyer willow, Geyer's willow

Tweedy's willow

Habit Plants 0.6–5 m, (sometimes forming clones by stem fragmentation). Plants 1–3 m. Stems: branches red-brown, not glaucous, villous to glabrescent; branchlets yellow-brown, (sometimes strongly glaucous), pilose or moderately densely villous, (buds caprea- or arctica-type, scale inner membranaceous layer free, separating from outer layer).
Stems

branches (sometimes ± brittle at base), yellow-green, gray-brown, red-brown, or violet, usually glaucous, glabrous or sparsely tomentose;

branchlets yellowish, yellow-brown, red-brown, or violet, (strongly glaucous or not), glabrous or sparsely to moderately densely pubescent, (buds caprea-type).

Leaves

stipules usually absent or rudimentary (rarely foliaceous);

petiole convex to flat, or shallowly to deeply grooved adaxially, 2–9 mm, velvety, short-silky, or pubescent adaxially;

largest medial blade lorate, narrowly elliptic, or linear, 32–89 × 5.5–14 mm, 3.6–8.4(–11.3) times as long as wide, base cuneate or convex, margins flat or slightly revolute, entire or distantly and shallowly serrulate, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface glaucous, glabrous or densely short- or long-silky, hairs (white, sometimes also ferruginous), straight, adaxial slightly glossy, densely short- or long-silky, especially midrib, to glabrescent, (hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous);

proximal blade margins entire or distantly and shallowly serrulate;

juvenile blade reddish or yellowish green, densely to sparsely long- or short-silky abaxially, hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous.

stipules (sometimes marcescent), foliaceous, 3.5–10–23 mm, 1–1.4–2.8 times as long as wide, usually lanceolate, ovate, or suborbiculate, (pleated when pressed), apex rounded, convex, or acute;

petiole shallowly grooved adaxially, 3–11.3–26 mm, villous adaxially;

largest medial blade elliptic to broadly elliptic, 36–65–100 × 17–35.5–85 mm, 1.1–1.9–2.9 times as long as wide, base convex, rounded, subcordate, or cordate, margins thickened, serrulate or spinulose-serrulate (sometimes teeth absent, margins with spherical glands), apex acuminate, acute, or convex, abaxial surface glaucous or not, pilose or villous, hairs curved, adaxial dull, pilose or villous to glabrescent;

proximal blade margins entire (glands only) or serrulate;

juvenile blade green, glabrous, pilose, or moderately densely villous abaxially, hairs white.

Staminate flowers

adaxial nectary oblong, ovate, or square, 0.3–0.8(–0.9) mm;

filaments distinct, glabrous or hairy on proximal 1/2 or basally;

anthers yellow or purple turning yellow, ellipsoid or globose, 0.4–0.5(–0.6) mm.

adaxial nectary oblong, 0.6–1.2 mm;

filaments distinct, glabrous or hairy basally;

anthers yellow or purple turning yellow, 0.6–1 mm.

Pistillate flowers

adaxial nectary oblong, square, or ovate, 0.2–1 mm;

stipe (0.4–)1–2.8 mm;

ovary pyriform (gourd-shaped), beak gradually tapering to styles;

ovules 6–12 per ovary;

styles 0.1–0.2(–0.6) mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded or pointed tip, 0.2–0.3–0.44 mm.

adaxial nectary oblong, narrowly oblong, or square, 0.5–1 mm, (unlobed), shorter to longer than stipe;

stipe 0.4–1.5 mm;

ovary pyriform, beak gradually tapering to styles;

ovules 18–30 per ovary;

styles 1.1–2.8 mm;

stigmas slenderly cylindrical, 0.32–0.53–1 mm.

Capsules

(3–)4–6 mm.

4–7 mm.

Catkins

flowering (before or) as leaves emerge; staminate globose, (1–1.1–)11–18 × 6–11 mm, flowering branchlet 1–5 mm; pistillate densely to loosely flowered, subglobose to globose, 8–21 × 7–17 mm, flowering branchlet 0.5–8 mm;

floral bract tawny or brown (black), 1.2–2.8 mm, apex rounded or acute, abaxially hairy, hairs short, wavy or straight.

flowering before leaves emerge; staminate stout, 39–56 × 14–22 mm, flowering branchlet 0–2 mm; pistillate densely flowered, stout, 39–70(–110 in fruit) × 13–22 mm, flowering branchlet 0–2 mm;

floral bract dark brown, 1.8–4 mm, apex acute or rounded, abaxially sparsely hairy, hairs straight or wavy.

2n

= 38.

Salix geyeriana

Salix tweedyi

Phenology Flowering late Apr-late Jun. Flowering Jul.
Habitat Lowland wet streamsides, lakeshores, sedge meadows, springs, seepages, swamps, cienegas, fine-textured substrates Subalpine and alpine, streamsides and bottoms, lakeshores, marshes, spruce bogs, talus slopes, tundra, quartzite, granite, or, sometimes, limestone substrates
Elevation 10-3300 m (0-10800 ft) 1400-4000 m (4600-13100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT; WA; WY; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Salix geyeriana is characterized by its dark gray appearance, slender, dark branches, narrow leaves long-silky on both surfaces, general absence of stipules, and small, subglobose catkins. Plants in the Pacific Northwest with foliaceous stipules may be hybrids or introgressants, but the other parent is unknown.

Hybrids:

Salix geyeriana forms natural hybrids with S. bebbiana, S. irrorata, S. lemmonii, S. ligulifolia, and S. pedicellaris. Alleged hybrids with S. sitchensis, based on plants from British Columbia with broader, more hairy leaves, and catkins longer than in S. geyeriana, but with the short stipes of S. sitchensis (J. K. Henry 1915), are unconvincing.

Salix geyeriana × S. irrorata: A series of specimens from Arizona usually resemble S. geyeriana but have some characters of S. irrorata: foliaceous stipules, toothed leaf margins, catkins flowering before leaves emerge, shorter stipes (0.4–1.2 mm), and longer styles (0.2–0.6 mm). They also have some unique characters: proximal leaves sometimes serrulate, leaves sometimes amphistomatous, adaxial leaf surfaces mostly with ferruginous hairs, and ovaries sometimes gourd-shaped.

Salix geyeriana × S. lemmonii is uncommon but in mixed stands of the parental species some plants resemble S. geyeriana in having relatively short, subspherical catkins, small anthers, and petioles sometimes with petiolar glands; and S. lemmonii in having leaf blades amphistomatous, margins serrulate, and foliaceous stipules on early leaves. Because the species have different chromosome numbers, hybrids may be infertile, but occasional seeds have been seen. This hybrid is known from California (Lassen and Sierra counties), Oregon (Jefferson and Lane counties), and near Victoria, British Columbia.

Salix geyeriana × S. ligulifolia: Plants in Arizona with rudimentary stipules and leaves with ferruginous hairs may be this hybrid.

Salix geyeriana × S. pedicellaris occurs in Washington. It has the white and ferruginous hairs on leaves and ovaries of S. geyeriana, and leaves glaucous adaxially with prominent 2 and 3 veins of S. pedicellaris.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 153. FNA vol. 7, p. 145.
Parent taxa Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Geyerianae Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Lanatae
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. 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. 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. tracyi, S. triandra, S. turnorii, S. tyrrellii, S. uva-ursi, S. vestita, S. viminalis, S. wolfii, S. ×fragilis, S. ×jesupii, S. ×pendulina, S. ×sepulcralis, S. ×smithiana
Synonyms S. geyeriana var. argentea, S. geyeriana var. meleina S. barrattiana var. tweedyi
Name authority Andersson: Öfvers. Kongl. Vetensk.-Akad. Förh. 15: 122. (1858) (Bebb ex Rose) C. R. Ball: Bot. Gaz. 40: 377. (1905)
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