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

balsam willow

Turnor's willow

Habit Plants 0.4–4 m. Stems: branches red-brown, not glaucous, (highly glossy), glabrous; branchlets red-brown, yellow-brown, or yellowish, (not or weakly glaucous), glabrous, (inner membranaceous bud-scale layer free, not separating from outer layer). Shrubs, 1–2.5 m, (forming clones by layering).
Stems

branches yellow-brown or yellow-gray, not or weakly glaucous, (with sparkling wax crystals, dull or slightly glossy), pilose or villous;

branchlets gray-brown or red-brown, pubescent, villous, or velvety.

Leaves

stipules (early deciduous), foliaceous or rudimentary on early ones, foliaceous on late ones, apex acute, convex, or rounded;

petiole convex to flat, or shallowly grooved adaxially, 7–20 mm, glabrous or sparsely velvety adaxially;

largest medial blade narrowly oblong, oblong, elliptic, or broadly elliptic, 30–103 × 19–40 mm, 1.5–3.4 times as long as wide, base cordate, subcordate, rounded or convex, margins flat or slightly revolute, serrulate, irregularly serrate, crenate, or sinuate, apex acute or acuminate, abaxial surface glaucous, glabrous, adaxial slightly or highly glossy, glabrous;

proximal blade margins serrulate or entire;

juvenile blade translucent, glabrous or pilose abaxially, hairs white.

stipules foliaceous, apex acute or convex;

petiole shallowly grooved adaxially, 4–13 mm, villous or pubescent adaxially;

largest medial blade (amphistomatous), narrowly oblong, narrowly elliptic, elliptic, oblanceolate, or lanceolate, 26–47 × 7.5–15 mm, 2.8–4.1 times as long as wide, base convex, rounded, or subcordate, margins slightly revolute or flat, serrate or serrulate, apex acuminate to acute, abaxial surface glaucous, glabrous, pilose, villous, or long-silky, hairs straight or wavy, adaxial dull, sparsely or moderately densely pilose or long-silky, especially on midrib;

proximal blade margins entire or serrulate;

juvenile blade reddish or yellowish green, sparsely to moderately densely long-silky or pubescent abaxially, hairs white.

Staminate flowers

adaxial nectary square or ovate, 0.3–0.5 mm;

filaments distinct, glabrous or sparsely hairy basally;

anthers yellow, (ellipsoid or shortly cylindrical), 0.5–0.8 mm.

adaxial nectary narrowly oblong or ovate, 0.7–1.1 mm;

filaments distinct or connate, hairy basally;

anthers yellow, 0.6–0.8 mm.

Pistillate flowers

adaxial nectary narrowly ovate or square, 0.3–0.7 mm, shorter than stipe;

stipe 1.8–3.5 mm;

ovary obclavate, glabrous, beak slightly bulged below styles;

ovules 10–19 per ovary;

styles 0.4–0.5 mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded tip, or 2 plump lobes, 0.2–0.23–0.32 mm.

adaxial nectary oblong, flask-shaped, or narrowly ovate, 0.4–1 mm, shorter than stipe;

stipe 2–4 mm;

ovary pyriform, glabrous, beaks slightly bulged below styles;

ovules 14–18 per ovary;

styles 0.3–0.5 mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded or pointed tip, 0.16–0.23–0.28 mm.

Capsules

7–8 mm.

2.5–5 mm.

Catkins

staminate flowering just before leaves emerge, pistillate flowering as leaves emerge; staminate stout or slender, 18.5–63 × 7–15 mm, flowering branchlet 1–5 mm; pistillate loosely flowered, stout or slender, 25–85 × 8–20 mm, flowering branchlet 2–22 mm;

floral bract tawny, 1–2.4 mm, apex acute or convex, abaxially sparsely to moderately densely hairy, hairs straight or wavy.

flowering just before or as leaves emerge; staminate stout, 16–30 × 8–10 mm, flowering branchlet 1.5–4 mm; pistillate loosely flowered, stout, 18–22 × 9–11 mm, flowering branchlet 3–4 mm;

floral bract brown or tawny, 1.2–1.6 mm, apex acute or rounded, abaxially hairy throughout or proximally, hairs straight or wavy.

2n

= 38.

Salix pyrifolia

Salix turnorii

Phenology Flowering May-mid Jun(-mid Jul in subalpine). No flowering time data are available (probably May or Jun).
Habitat Fens, wet lake and slough margins, treed bogs Active sand dunes
Elevation 0-300 m (-1600 m in subalpine) (0-1000 ft (-5200 ft in subalpine)) 200-300 m (700-1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ME; MI; MN; NH; NY; VT; WI; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
SK
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Salix pyrifolia is characterized by juvenile leaves membranaceous and translucent, and largest medial leaves subcoriaceous, with abaxial surfaces reticulate, and with bases often cordate. Buds and foliage are reported to have a balsam-like fragrance.

Hybrids:

Salix pyrifolia forms natural hybrids with S. brachycarpa var. psammophila. Hybrids with S. discolor have been reported (C. K. Schneider 1921; M. L. Fernald 1950) but no convincing specimens have been seen.

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

Of conservation concern.

Salix turnorii is known from the Lake Athabasca sand dunes in northwestern Saskatchewan. Salix famelica in the Great Sand Hills, southern Saskatchewan, is very similar morphologically and may have been the source of populations ancestral to S. turnorii that moved into northern Saskatchewan during the warm Holocene Hypsithermal Period (ca. 9000–6000 yrs. B.P.).

Hybrids:

Salix turnorii forms natural hybrids with S. brachycarpa var. psammophila.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 115. FNA vol. 7, p. 122.
Parent taxa Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Hastatae Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Cordatae
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. pentandra, S. petiolaris, S. petrophila, S. phlebophylla, S. planifolia, S. polaris, S. prolixa, S. pseudomonticola, S. pseudomyrsinites, S. pulchra, S. purpurea, 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. 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. tweedyi, S. tyrrellii, S. uva-ursi, S. vestita, S. viminalis, S. wolfii, S. ×fragilis, S. ×jesupii, S. ×pendulina, S. ×sepulcralis, S. ×smithiana
Synonyms S. balsamifera, S. pyrifolia var. lanceolata S. lutea var. turnorii
Name authority Andersson: Monogr. Salicum, 162, plate 8, fig. 93. (1867) Raup: J. Arnold Arbor. 17: 234, plate 193. (1936)
Web links