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strap-leaf willow, strap-leafed willow, tongue-leaf willow

under-green willow, variable willow

Habit Shrubs, 1–8 m. Stems: branches yellow-brown, gray-brown, or red-brown, not glaucous, glabrous or villous; branchlets yellow-green or yellow-brown, glabrous, sparsely to densely villous, or velvety, (inner membranaceous bud-scale layer free, not separating from outer layer). 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.
Leaves

stipules foliaceous, apex rounded, convex, acute or acuminate;

petiole convex to flat, or shallowly grooved adaxially, 3–18 mm, glabrous, pilose, or velvety to glabrescent adaxially;

largest medial blade lorate, narrowly oblong, or narrowly elliptic, 60–133 × 12–30 mm, 2.9–6.4 times as long as wide, base rounded, convex, or subcordate, margins flat, usually serrulate or serrate, rarely (apparently) entire, apex acuminate to acute, abaxial surface glaucous, glabrous, sparsely short-silky or pubescent, hairs straight or wavy, adaxial dull, glabrous, sparsely short-silky, or midrib pubescent;

proximal blade margins entire, serrulate, or crenulate;

juvenile blade reddish or yellowish green, glabrous or sparsely to moderately densely pilose or puberulent abaxially, hairs white.

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.

Staminate flowers

adaxial nectary narrowly oblong, oblong, flask-shaped, or triangular, 0.3–0.8 mm;

filaments distinct or connate less than 1/2 their lengths (or appearing as a single stamen), glabrous or hairy basally;

anthers purple or red turning yellow, (ellipsoid or globose), 0.5–0.8 mm.

adaxial nectary oblong or square, 0.2–0.8 mm;

filaments distinct, glabrous;

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

Pistillate flowers

adaxial nectary oblong, narrowly oblong, or flask-shaped, 0.3–0.9 mm, shorter than stipe;

stipe 0.9–2.5 mm;

ovary pyriform, glabrous, beak sometimes slightly bulged below styles;

ovules 12–21 per ovary;

styles 0.2–0.6 mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded tip, or slenderly cylindrical, 0.16–0.25–0.4 mm.

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.

Capsules

4–6 mm.

3.5–8 mm.

Catkins

flowering as or just before leaves emerge; staminate stout, 20.5–34 × 8–11 mm, flowering branchlet 0–3 mm; pistillate moderately densely flowered, slender to subglobose, 15.5–49 × 8–18 mm, flowering branchlet 1–6 mm;

floral bract brown or bicolor, 0.8–1.6 mm, apex acute or rounded, abaxially hairy throughout or proximally (hairs usually arising from rachis), hairs wavy or curly.

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.

2n

= 38.

= 38.

Salix ligulifolia

Salix commutata

Phenology Flowering late Mar-mid Jun(-late Jul). Flowering late May-mid Aug.
Habitat Banks and floodplains, cienegas, sandy-clay or gravelly substrates Rocky alpine and subalpine slopes, glacial moraine, open spruce woods, streamsides, gravel benches along streams, wet fens
Elevation 0-3100 m (0-10200 ft) 0-2400 m (0-7900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; OR; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; ID; MT; OR; WA; AB; BC; NT; SK; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Salix ligulifolia sometimes has leaf teeth that are so short that it is referred to as “entire-leaved.” That condition is uncommon and, even when some leaves appear to be entire, others with fine serrulations can be found on the same plant.

Hybrids:

Salix ligulifolia forms natural hybrids with S. geyeriana.

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

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.)

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 122. FNA vol. 7, p. 105.
Parent taxa Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Cordatae 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. 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. 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. 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
Synonyms S. lutea var. ligulifolia, S. eriocephala var. ligulifolia S. commutata var. denudata, S. commutata subsp. mixta, S. commutata var. puberula, S. commutata var. sericea
Name authority (C. R. Ball) C. R. Ball ex C. K. Schneider: J. Arnold Arbor. 2: 188. (1922) Bebb: Bot. Gaz. 13: 110. (1888)
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