The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

halberd willow

barren-ground willow, short-fruit willow, small-fruit willow

Habit Plants 0.2–4 m. Stems: branches reddish brown, not glaucous, (slightly glossy), pilose; branchlets yellow-brown or red-brown, villous or pilose. Plants 0.2–1.5 m, not clonal.
Stems

erect or decumbent;

branches gray-brown or red-brown, villous or short-silky to glabrescent;

branchlets red-brown, long-silky, villous, or woolly.

Leaves

stipules foliaceous, apex acute to acuminate;

petiole convex to flat, or shallowly grooved adaxially, 2–6(–9) mm, pilose or villous adaxially;

largest medial blade narrowly to broadly elliptic or narrowly ovate to ovate, 25–92 × 10–45 mm, 1.5–2.6(–3.4) times as long as wide, base convex, cuneate, or rounded, margins slightly revolute or flat, shallowly serrulate or entire, apex acuminate, acute, or convex, abaxial surface glaucous, sparsely pubescent, hairs wavy, adaxial dull to slightly glossy, pilose, sparsely pubescent or glabrous, midrib hairy, (hairs white and ferruginous);

proximal blade margins entire or finely serrulate;

juvenile blade sometimes reddish, sparsely pubescent abaxially, hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous.

stipules absent or rudimentary on early ones, foliaceous or rudimentary on late ones;

petiole (deeply to shallowly grooved adaxially), (0.5–)1–3(–4) mm, (usually shorter than or barely exceeding subtended bud);

largest medial blade hypostomatous, narrowly oblong, oblong, narrowly elliptic, elliptic, narrowly oblanceolate, ovate, or obovate, base rounded, convex, cordate, or subcordate, margins flat, entire, apex rounded, acute, or convex, abaxial surface (sometimes obscured by hairs), densely villous, woolly, or long-silky, adaxial slightly glossy, pilose, villous, or long-silky to glabrescent, (hairs straight or wavy);

proximal blade margins entire;

juvenile blade very densely long-silky abaxially.

Staminate flowers

adaxial nectary oblong or square, 0.3–0.7 mm;

filaments distinct or basally connate, glabrous;

anthers purple turning yellow, 0.4–0.6 mm.

abaxial nectary (0–)0.5–1.5 mm, adaxial nectary 0.5–1.4 mm, nectaries distinct or connate and cup-shaped;

filaments distinct or connate less than 1/2 their lengths, glabrous or hairy throughout or on proximal 1/2;

anthers ellipsoid, shortly cylindrical, or globose, 0.3–0.8 mm.

Pistillate flowers

adaxial nectary square or obovate, 0.3–0.6 mm, usually shorter than stipe;

stipe 0.4–1.2 mm;

ovary pyriform, glabrous, beak gradually tapering to styles;

ovules 12–22 per ovary;

styles connate (sometimes distinct 1/2 their lengths), 0.2–0.5 mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded tip, or broadly cylindrical, or 2 plump lobes, 0.2–0.32–0.44 mm.

abaxial nectary often present, adaxial nectary longer than stipe;

stipe 0–0.6 mm;

ovary pyriform, very densely villous, tomentose, or woolly, beak slightly bulged below styles;

ovules 2–10 per ovary;

styles connate to distinct 1/2 their lengths, 0.4–1.5 mm;

stigmas broadly or slenderly cylindrical, 0.24–0.3–0.48 mm.

Capsules

3.2–8 mm.

3–6.5 mm.

Catkins

flowering as leaves emerge; staminate slender, stout, or subglobose, 14.5–34.5 × 8–12 mm, flowering branchlet 1–7 mm; pistillate moderately densely or loosely flowered, slender or stout, 21–59 × 6–16 mm, flowering branchlet 1.5–9 mm;

floral bract brown or bicolor, 1.2–1.8 mm, apex acute to rounded, abaxially glabrate to hairy, hairs straight to wavy.

staminate 5.3–24 × 4–10 mm, flowering branchlet 0.3–24(–43) mm; pistillate (and staminate) densely flowered, globose, subglobose, or stout, 6–25 × 4–15 mm, flowering branchlet 0.3–11 mm;

floral bract tawny or greenish, 1–3 mm, apex rounded or convex, entire, abaxially hairy, hairs straight or wavy.

2n

= 38.

Salix hastata

Salix brachycarpa

Phenology Flowering early Jun-late Jul.
Habitat Sandy and gravelly river bars and floodplains, lakeshores, sand dunes and blowouts, Dryas tundra, alpine sedge meadows, balsam poplar thickets, openings in upland spruce-willow forests
Elevation 0-1200 m (0-3900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; NT; YT; Eurasia (Norway, Russia, Siberia)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Salix hastata is characterized by branches pilose with short, curved hairs; juvenile and mature leaves with white or ferruginous hairs adaxially, glaucous or not abaxially; and ovaries often reddish. See 61. S. barclayi and 64. S. farriae.

Subspecies subintegrifolia, characterized by entire or subentire leaf margins, is recognized in Flora Nordica as the major northern Eurasian race of Salix hastata, and is described as occurring across Russia into northwestern North America (B. Jonsell and T. Karlsson 2000+, vol. 1). Because leaf marginal toothing is highly variable throughout the species range (E. Hultén 1967), the subspecies is not recognized here or in Russia (A. K. Skvortsov 1999).

Hybrids:

Salix hastata forms natural hybrids with S. barclayi.

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Branchlets and largest medial blade surfaces moderately densely villous or long-silky; largest medial blades (1.5-)2.8-3(-4) times as long as wide; anthers 0.3-0.5 mm; catkins globose, subglobose, or stout.
var. brachycarpa
1. Branchlets and largest medial blade surfaces very densely woolly, villous, or long-silky; largest medial blades 1.4-2.6 times as long as wide; anthers 0.5-0.8 mm; catkins stout or subglobose (Lake Athabasca sand dunes, Saskatchewan).
var. psammophila
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 116. FNA vol. 7, p. 86.
Parent taxa Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Hastatae Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Chamaetia > sect. Glaucae
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. geyeriana, S. glauca, S. gooddingii, 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. 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. tweedyi, S. tyrrellii, S. uva-ursi, S. vestita, S. viminalis, S. wolfii, S. ×fragilis, S. ×jesupii, S. ×pendulina, S. ×sepulcralis, S. ×smithiana
Subordinate taxa
S. brachycarpa var. brachycarpa, S. brachycarpa var. psammophila
Synonyms S. farriae var. walpolei, S. hastata subsp. subintegrifolia, S. walpolei
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1017. (1753) Nuttall: N. Amer. Sylv. 1: 69. (1842)
Web links