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halberd willow

glaucous willow, gray willow, gray-leaf willow, grey-leaf 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 0.2–6 m, not clonal.
Stems

erect or decumbent;

branches brownish, yellow-brown, gray-brown, or red-brown, villous or pilose to glabrescent;

branchlets yellow-brown or red-brown, sparsely to densely villous or tomentose to glabrescent.

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 (marcescent or not), foliaceous or rudimentary on early and late ones;

petiole (usually deeply to shallowly grooved adaxially), 1–27 mm, (much longer than subtended bud);

largest medial blade usually hypostomatous, sometimes hemiamphistomatous or amphistomatous, usually narrowly elliptic, elliptic, usually oblanceolate or obovate, sometimes narrowly oblong or obovate, 27–82 × 6–39 mm, 1.4–4.8 times as long as wide, base usually cuneate or convex, sometimes rounded, rarely subcordate, margins slightly revolute or flat, usually entire, apex acute, acuminate, convex, or rounded, abaxial surface densely villous or villous-silky, tomentose, short- or long-silky, or pilose, hairs usually wavy or straight, sometimes curved, adaxial usually slightly glossy, sometimes dull, moderately densely villous, pilose, or long-silky to glabrescent;

proximal blade margins entire or serrulate;

juvenile blade sparsely or densely villous, tomentose, or 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 0.1–1 mm, adaxial nectary narrowly oblong, oblong, square, ovate, or flask-shaped, 0.5–1.3 mm, nectaries distinct, or connate and cup-shaped;

filaments distinct or slightly or partly connate, glabrous, or hairy on proximal 1/2;

anthers 0.4–0.8 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 absent, adaxial nectary usually narrowly oblong, oblong, or ovate, sometimes flask-shaped, 0.4–1.8 mm, shorter to longer than stipe;

stipe 0.3–2.8 mm;

ovary pyriform or obclavate, densely villous, tomentose, short-silky, or pubescent, beak usually gradually tapering to styles, sometimes gradually tapering to or slightly bulged below styles;

ovules 6–22 per ovary;

styles connate to distinct 1/2 their lengths or more, 0.3–1.6 mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded tip, or slenderly or broadly cylindrical, 0.2–0.8 mm.

Capsules

3.2–8 mm.

4.5–9 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 14–53 × 5–17 mm, flowering branchlet 1–25 mm; pistillate densely to sometimes loosely flowered, slender, stout, subglobose, or globose, 15–83 × 7–21 mm, flowering branchlet 2–37 mm;

floral bract tawny, brown, bicolor, or greenish, 1–3.4 mm, apex convex or rounded, entire, abaxially hairy, hairs wavy, crinkled, or straight.

2n

= 38.

= 76, 95, 114, 152.

Salix hastata

Salix glauca

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
AK; CO; MT; NM; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; NS; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT; Eurasia (China [Altay Shan], Chukotka, Mongolia, Novaya Zemlya, Russian Far East, Sakhalin, Scandinavia, arctic, e, w Siberia)
[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 5 (4 in the flora).

Occurrence of Salix glauca is disjunct in western Siberia; var. glauca is known from Scandinavia.

Salix glauca is ubiquitous, highly polymorphic, and polyploid. It appears to have four major variations that are treated in different ways. European floras have treated it as an undivided polymorphic species(A. K. Skvortsov 1999), as several distinct species (K. H. Rechinger 1964b), or as comprising several subspecies (Rechinger 1993; G. W. Argus et al. 1999; B. Jonsell and T. Karlsson 2000+, vol. 1). In North America, Argus (1965) treated the four central tendencies as widely intergrading “phases” of a single species, later adopting varietal rank, whereas E. Hultén (1968) recognized them as subspecies. In view of the fact that the four elements are confluent over wide areas, there may be some merit in recognizing them as informal phases, but varietal rank is used here.

All specimens from Iceland named Salix glauca are S. arctica and those from Svalbard, Norway, are S. lanata Linnaeus.

The major reason for the high variability within Salix glauca seems to be high, and probably recurrent, polyploidy. Tetraploids, pentaploids, hexaploids, and octoploids are known in the species, and two of the subspecies include three ploidal levels. There also are intergrading geographical variations that are the basis for the recognition of infraspecific taxa.

Hybrids:

Salix glauca forms natural hybrids with S. arctica, S. arctophila, S. ballii, S. barclayi, S. boothii, S. brachycarpa, S. eastwoodiae, S. myricoides, S. niphoclada, S. pedicellaris, and S. planifolia.

The following key will help identify the varieties, but there are extensive areas of overlap among them and many intermediates.

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

Key
1. Stipules often marcescent, foliaceous on late leaves, usually prominent, linear, narrowly elliptic, or lanceolate, 2-17 mm; branches red-brown or gray-brown or brownish; branchlets densely villous to glabrescent; proximal blades: margins entire; floral bracts 1.2-2.5 mm; staminate flowering branchlets 1-14 mm; ovaries obclavate or pyriform; Alaska, Canada
→ 2
1. Stipules sometimes marcescent or rudimentary, if foliaceous, usually inconspicuous, oblong, elliptic, or ovate, 1-8(-10) mm; branches usually yellow-brown or red-brown; branchlets usually sparsely villous or tomentose; proximal blades: margins entire or serrulate; floral bracts 1-3.4 mm; staminate flowering branchlets 1.5-25 mm; ovaries pyriform; northern Canada east of Mackenzie River, Greenland, Rocky Mountains
→ 3
2. Shrubs, 0.3-1 m; branchlets densely villous; petioles 1-9 mm; largest medial blades: apex acute, sometimes acuminate, or convex, adaxial surface moderately densely villous, or long-silky to glabrescent; staminate catkins 14-26 mm; filaments distinct or partly connate, glabrous or hairy on proximal 1/2; pistillate catkins stout to subglobose, flowering branchlets 2-19 mm; stipes 0.4-1.8 mm; Alaska, Northwest Territories, w Nunavut, n Yukon.
var. stipulata
2. Shrubs, 0.3-6 m; branchlets soon becoming pilose or glabrescent; petioles 4-27 mm; largest medial blades: apex acuminate to convex, adaxial surface often sparsely long-silky or pilose; staminate catkins 19-45 mm; filaments distinct, glabrous; pistillate catkins slender to stout, flowering branchlets 3-37 mm; stipes 0.5-2.8 mm; c Alaska, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Yukon.
var. acutifolia
3. Stipules 0.9-2.8-8(-10) mm, sometimes marcescent; floral bracts usually brownish; largest medial blades: petiole 3-14 mm; Alberta, British Columbia, Rocky Mountains, Saskatchewan to New Mexico.
var. villosa
3. Stipules 1-2.1-4 mm, usually deciduous (in autumn); floral bracts usually tawny; largest medial blades: petiole 2-9 mm; c, e Canada, Greenland, St. Pierre and Miquelon.
var. cordifolia
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 116. FNA vol. 7, p. 89.
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. 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. 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. glauca var. acutifolia, S. glauca var. cordifolia, S. glauca var. stipulata, S. glauca var. villosa
Synonyms S. farriae var. walpolei, S. hastata subsp. subintegrifolia, S. walpolei
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1017. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1019. (1753)
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