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bay-leaf or bay or laurel willow, bay-leaf willow, laurel willow

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

Habit Shrubs or trees, 5–15 m. Stems: branches flexible at base, brownish or yellow-green, highly glossy, glabrous; branchlets yellow-green, red-brown, or brownish, glossy, glabrous. 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).
Leaves

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

petiole deeply to shallowly grooved adaxially, 5–15 mm, with pairs or clusters of spherical glands distally or throughout, glabrous adaxially;

largest medial blade hypostomatous, narrowly elliptic, elliptic, or lanceolate, 50–135 × 20–50 mm, 2–4 times as long as wide, base convex, margins slightly revolute or flat, serrulate, apex acuminate, abaxial surface pale not glaucous, glabrous, adaxial highly glossy, glabrous;

proximal blade margins entire or serrulate;

juvenile blade reddish, glabrous abaxially.

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.

Staminate flowers

abaxial nectary 0.6–1.7 mm, adaxial nectary square, ovate, or oblong, 0.5–1.5 mm, nectaries distinct or ± connate and cup-shaped;

stamens 4–10;

filaments distinct, hairy on proximal 1/2;

anthers ellipsoid or globose, 0.5–0.6 mm.

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.

Pistillate flowers

(abaxial nectary present or absent), adaxial nectary oblong, square, or ovate, 0.4–0.8 mm, (nectaries distinct or connate and shallowly cup-shaped), shorter than or equal to stipe;

stipe 0.5–1.6 mm;

ovary pyriform, beak bulged below or tapering to styles;

ovules 18–22 per ovary;

styles connate or distinct, 0.4–0.6 mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded tip, or slenderly cylindrical, 0.4–0.6 mm.

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.

Capsules

6–9 mm.

5–10 mm.

Catkins

staminate 27–81 × 9–13 mm, flowering branchlet 9–21 mm; pistillate moderately to densely flowered, slender or stout, 29–68 × 7–15 mm, flowering branchlet 9–42 mm;

floral bract 2–4 mm, apex acute or rounded to truncate, entire or toothed, abaxially sparsely hairy (mainly proximally), hairs wavy or straight.

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.

2n

= 76.

Salix pentandra

Salix orestera

Phenology Flowering late May-mid Jun. Flowering late May-late Aug.
Habitat Shores of streams and lakes, marshes, roadsides, waste places Subalpine meadows, slopes, lakes, streams, granite substrates
Elevation 0-2300 m (0-7500 ft) 2100-4000 m (6900-13100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CO; CT; DC; IA; IL; KY; MA; MD; ME; MN; MT; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SD; VA; VT; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; QC; SK; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The Ohio occurrence is based on information from T. Cooperrider (pers. comm.).

Only pistillate plants of Salix pentandra are known to occur in the flora area.

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

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.)

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 44. FNA vol. 7, p. 108.
Parent taxa Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Salix > sect. Salicaster 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. 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. 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. 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 Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1016. (1753) C. K. Schneider: J. Arnold Arbor. 1: 164. (1920)
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