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gray-leaf Sierra willow, gray-leafed Sierra willow, Sierra willow

Maccalla's willow, mccalla's willow

Habit Plants 0.5–2 m. Stems: branches dark red-brown or yellow-brown, not to strongly glaucous, glabrous; branchlets yellow-brown or red-brown, (not or weakly glaucous), pilose or pubescent, hairs straight, wavy, or geniculate, (inner membranaceous bud-scale layer free, separating from outer layer).
Stems

branches dark red-brown, slightly or highly glossy, glabrous;

branchlets red-brown or yellow-brown, puberulent to glabrescent, hairs wavy, curved, straight, or geniculate.

Leaves

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

petiole convex to flat, or shallowly grooved adaxially, 4–9 mm, pilose adaxially;

largest medial blade (sometimes amphistomatous), lorate, narrowly oblong, narrowly elliptic, or oblanceolate, 35–95 × 7.5–20 mm, 3.4–7.1 times as long as wide, base cuneate or convex, margins flat or slightly revolute, entire, apex acute, acuminate, or convex, abaxial surface glaucous (sometimes obscured by hairs), sparsely to moderately densely long- to short-silky or pubescent, hairs (white, sometimes also ferruginous), straight or wavy, adaxial dull or slightly glossy, sparsely or moderately densely pubescent or long- to short-silky, (hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous);

proximal blade margins entire or serrulate;

juvenile blade densely long-silky abaxially, hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous.

stipules absent or rudimentary on early ones;

petiole convex to flat, or shallowly grooved adaxially, 4–15 mm, pilose or pubescent adaxially;

largest medial blade lorate or narrowly oblong, 40–85 × 8–25 mm, 2.9–4.8(–5.7) times as long as wide, base convex or cuneate, margins flat, entire, serrulate, or crenate, apex acute to sometimes acuminate, abaxial surface (pale), glabrous or sparsely pubescent, hairs white and ferruginous, straight, relatively short and stiff, adaxial highly glossy, glabrous, puberulent, or sparsely tomentose, hairs white and ferruginous;

proximal blade margins serrulate;

juvenile blade reddish.

Staminate flowers

adaxial nectary oblong or ovate, 0.6–1.1 mm;

filaments distinct or connate less than 1/2 their lengths, hairy basally;

anthers purple turning yellow, 0.6–1 mm.

abaxial nectary (0–)0.6–0.9 mm, adaxial nectary oblong or narrowly oblong, 0.5–1 mm, nectaries distinct or connate and cup-shaped;

filaments distinct, hairy on proximal 1/2;

anthers (purple turning yellow), ellipsoid or shortly cylindrical.

Pistillate flowers

adaxial nectary oblong or flask-shaped, 0.7–1.3 mm, shorter than or equal to stipe;

stipe 0.8–2 mm;

ovary obclavate or pyriform, short-silky-villous, beak gradually tapering to or slightly bulged below styles;

ovules 15–16 per ovary;

styles 0.6–1 mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded or pointed tip, or broadly cylindrical, 0.24–0.32–0.44 mm.

(abaxial nectary present), adaxial nectary oblong, 0.4–1 mm, (nectaries distinct);

ovary pyriform;

ovules 12–16 per ovary;

styles connate or distinct 1/2 their lengths, 0.8–1.2 mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded tip, or slenderly cylindrical, 0.3–0.6 mm.

Capsules

5–10 mm.

7–11 mm.

Catkins

flowering as leaves emerge; staminate stout, 15.5–34 × 7–14 mm, flowering branchlet 1–8 mm; pistillate moderately densely flowered, stout, 20–55(–65 in fruit) × 11–13 mm, flowering branchlet 2–15 mm;

floral bract dark brown or bicolor, 1.2–2.5 mm, apex acute or rounded, abaxially hairy, hairs straight or wavy.

staminate (stout or subglobose), 15.5–42 × 9–16 mm, flowering branchlet 1.5–11 mm; pistillate densely flowered, slender, stout, or subglobose, 25–50 × 10–20 mm, flowering branchlet 3–12 mm;

floral bract 1.6–3.6 mm, apex rounded to truncate, entire, abaxially hairy throughout or proximally, hairs white and ferruginous, wavy.

2n

= ca. 190, ca. 228.

Salix orestera

Salix maccalliana

Phenology Flowering late May-late Aug. Flowering early May-early Jul.
Habitat Subalpine meadows, slopes, lakes, streams, granite substrates Sedge meadows, shrubby fens, marly or bouldery lakeshores, string bogs, treed bogs, Calamagrostis grasslands
Elevation 2100-4000 m (6900-13100 ft) 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
MN; ND; WA; AB; BC; MB; NT; ON; QC; SK; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Salix orestera is so similar to S. glauca var. villosa that it is sometimes included in S. glauca. It is phenetically most similar to S. eastwoodiae and S. lemmonii (G. W. Argus 1997), and the possibility that it is a hybrid or an alloploid involving those species needs study.

Salix orestera can be distinguished from S. glauca var. villosa in having largest medial blades usually narrower, 3.4–7.1 times as long as wide, abaxial surfaces distinctly silky with appressed hairs pointing toward apex, hairs sometimes ferruginous, secondary veins raised abaxially and adaxially, branches often strongly glaucous, and staminate flowers without abaxial nectaries; S. glauca var. villosa has largest medial blades usually broader, 2.2–3.9 times as long as wide, abaxial surfaces usually glabrescent or, if hairy, hairs unkempt, slightly spreading, hairs always white, secondary veins raised abaxially, flat or impressed adaxially, branches not glaucous, staminate flowers often with abaxial nectaries.

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

The decaploid to dodecaploid chromosome number for Salix maccalliana, highest in the genus, suggests a complex origin. Relationships with subg. Chamaetia and subg. Salix were suggested by Rowlee and by H. M. Raup (1959). Staminate flowers with abaxial nectaries, tawny and persistent bracts, and villous ovaries suggest a link with S. glauca; leaves with coarse, ferruginous hairs and serrate margins suggest S. lucida (Rowlee). Although S. maccalliana is phenetically closer to sect. Salicaster than to (subg. Chamaetia) sect. Glaucae (G. W. Argus 1997), it is probable that because it incorporates genomes from more than one subgenus, its subgeneric placement is arbitrary.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 108. FNA vol. 7, p. 49.
Parent taxa Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Hastatae Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Salix > sect. Maccallianae
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. 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. 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. 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. commutata var. rubicunda, S. glauca subsp. orestera, S. glauca var. orestera
Name authority C. K. Schneider: J. Arnold Arbor. 1: 164. (1920) Rowlee: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 34: 158. (1907)
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