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Coulter willow, Sitka willow

Geyer willow, Geyer's willow

Habit Shrubs or trees, 1–8 m, (sometimes forming clones by stem fragmentation). Plants 0.6–5 m, (sometimes forming clones by stem fragmentation).
Stems

branches (sometimes highly brittle at base), yellow-brown or red-brown, not glaucous, glabrous or pilose;

branchlets yellow-brown, gray-brown, or red-brown, densely short-silky, velvety, or villous, (buds caprea-type or intermediate).

branches (sometimes ± brittle at base), yellow-green, gray-brown, red-brown, or violet, usually glaucous, glabrous or sparsely tomentose;

branchlets yellowish, yellow-brown, red-brown, or violet, (strongly glaucous or not), glabrous or sparsely to moderately densely pubescent, (buds caprea-type).

Leaves

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

petiole convex to flat, or shallowly grooved adaxially, 3–13(–16) mm, tomentose or velvety adaxially;

largest medial blade elliptic, narrowly oblanceolate, oblanceolate, or obovate, 31–70–120 × 17–48 mm, 2.1–3.1–4 times as long as wide, base cuneate or convex, margins slightly revolute or flat, strongly revolute proximally, entire, irregularly serrate, or sinuate, (glands submarginal or epilaminal), apex acuminate or convex, abaxial surface not evidently glaucous, (obscured by hairs), densely short-silky, woolly, or silky-woolly, hairs straight, wavy, or curved, adaxial slightly glossy (sometimes dull and glaucous), pilose or moderately densely short-silky;

proximal blade margins entire or shallowly serrulate;

juvenile blade green, densely long-silky or woolly abaxially, (sparsely silky-tomentose adaxially), hairs white.

stipules usually absent or rudimentary (rarely foliaceous);

petiole convex to flat, or shallowly to deeply grooved adaxially, 2–9 mm, velvety, short-silky, or pubescent adaxially;

largest medial blade lorate, narrowly elliptic, or linear, 32–89 × 5.5–14 mm, 3.6–8.4(–11.3) times as long as wide, base cuneate or convex, margins flat or slightly revolute, entire or distantly and shallowly serrulate, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface glaucous, glabrous or densely short- or long-silky, hairs (white, sometimes also ferruginous), straight, adaxial slightly glossy, densely short- or long-silky, especially midrib, to glabrescent, (hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous);

proximal blade margins entire or distantly and shallowly serrulate;

juvenile blade reddish or yellowish green, densely to sparsely long- or short-silky abaxially, hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous.

Staminate flowers

adaxial nectary narrowly oblong, oblong, ovate, or flask-shaped, 0.4–1.3 mm;

stamens 1;

filaments distinct, glabrous;

anthers purple turning yellow, shortly cylindrical, 0.5–0.7 mm.

adaxial nectary oblong, ovate, or square, 0.3–0.8(–0.9) mm;

filaments distinct, glabrous or hairy on proximal 1/2 or basally;

anthers yellow or purple turning yellow, ellipsoid or globose, 0.4–0.5(–0.6) mm.

Pistillate flowers

adaxial nectary square, ovate, or flask-shaped, 0.5–0.9 mm, shorter to longer than stipe;

stipe 0.4–1.4 mm;

ovary ovoid to pyriform, long- or short-silky or villous, beak sometimes slightly bulged below styles;

ovules 14–20 per ovary;

styles 0.4–0.8 mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded tip, or broadly cylindrical, 0.16–0.28–0.4 mm.

adaxial nectary oblong, square, or ovate, 0.2–1 mm;

stipe (0.4–)1–2.8 mm;

ovary pyriform (gourd-shaped), beak gradually tapering to styles;

ovules 6–12 per ovary;

styles 0.1–0.2(–0.6) mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded or pointed tip, 0.2–0.3–0.44 mm.

Capsules

3.5–5.6 mm.

(3–)4–6 mm.

Catkins

flowering just before or as leaves emerge; staminate slender or stout, (17–)22–54 × 8–15 mm, flowering branchlet 1–9 mm; pistillate moderately densely flowered, slender to stout, 25–73(–115 in fruit) × 5–15 mm, flowering branchlet 1–20 mm;

floral bract tawny to dark brown, 1.4–2.4 mm, apex rounded or acute, abaxially hairy, hairs straight or wavy.

flowering (before or) as leaves emerge; staminate globose, (1–1.1–)11–18 × 6–11 mm, flowering branchlet 1–5 mm; pistillate densely to loosely flowered, subglobose to globose, 8–21 × 7–17 mm, flowering branchlet 0.5–8 mm;

floral bract tawny or brown (black), 1.2–2.8 mm, apex rounded or acute, abaxially hairy, hairs short, wavy or straight.

2n

= 38.

= 38.

Salix sitchensis

Salix geyeriana

Phenology Flowering early Apr-mid Jun (Mar in California). Flowering late Apr-late Jun.
Habitat Tidal swamps and marshes, coastal fog belts and headlands, sand dunes, springs, gravelly streambeds and deltas, glacial moraines, avalanche tracks, dry canyons, clearings and edges of forests, shade tolerant Lowland wet streamsides, lakeshores, sedge meadows, springs, seepages, swamps, cienegas, fine-textured substrates
Elevation 0-1800 m (0-5900 ft) 10-3300 m (0-10800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Ovary hairiness in some Salix sitchensis populations varies from uniformly hairy to glabrescent, with intermediates with patchy or streaky hairiness. All three variations can occur together and do not seem to indicate hybridization.

Both Salix sitchensis and S. scouleriana have similar variants with leaves having very densely curly hairs on abaxial surfaces [S. sitchensis forma coulteri (Andersson) Jepson and S. scouleriana forma poikila (C. K. Schneider) C. K. Schneider]. Plants resembling S. drummondiana but with similar indumentum probably are hybrids with S. alaxensis (see 84. S. drummondiana). The coulteri taxon resembles S. delnortensis in having stipules with adaxial surfaces glabrous and very sparsely glandular toward the base, densely hairy abaxially, and with gland-dotted margins; its branchlets have wavy to crinkly hairs. The possible hybrid origin of S. delnortensis needs study (R. D. Dorn 2000).

Hybrids:

Salix sitchensis forms natural hybrids with S. alaxensis var. longistylis and S. melanopsis. Hybridization with S. geyeriana reported by J. K. Henry (1915) is not based on convincing specimens.

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

Salix geyeriana is characterized by its dark gray appearance, slender, dark branches, narrow leaves long-silky on both surfaces, general absence of stipules, and small, subglobose catkins. Plants in the Pacific Northwest with foliaceous stipules may be hybrids or introgressants, but the other parent is unknown.

Hybrids:

Salix geyeriana forms natural hybrids with S. bebbiana, S. irrorata, S. lemmonii, S. ligulifolia, and S. pedicellaris. Alleged hybrids with S. sitchensis, based on plants from British Columbia with broader, more hairy leaves, and catkins longer than in S. geyeriana, but with the short stipes of S. sitchensis (J. K. Henry 1915), are unconvincing.

Salix geyeriana × S. irrorata: A series of specimens from Arizona usually resemble S. geyeriana but have some characters of S. irrorata: foliaceous stipules, toothed leaf margins, catkins flowering before leaves emerge, shorter stipes (0.4–1.2 mm), and longer styles (0.2–0.6 mm). They also have some unique characters: proximal leaves sometimes serrulate, leaves sometimes amphistomatous, adaxial leaf surfaces mostly with ferruginous hairs, and ovaries sometimes gourd-shaped.

Salix geyeriana × S. lemmonii is uncommon but in mixed stands of the parental species some plants resemble S. geyeriana in having relatively short, subspherical catkins, small anthers, and petioles sometimes with petiolar glands; and S. lemmonii in having leaf blades amphistomatous, margins serrulate, and foliaceous stipules on early leaves. Because the species have different chromosome numbers, hybrids may be infertile, but occasional seeds have been seen. This hybrid is known from California (Lassen and Sierra counties), Oregon (Jefferson and Lane counties), and near Victoria, British Columbia.

Salix geyeriana × S. ligulifolia: Plants in Arizona with rudimentary stipules and leaves with ferruginous hairs may be this hybrid.

Salix geyeriana × S. pedicellaris occurs in Washington. It has the white and ferruginous hairs on leaves and ovaries of S. geyeriana, and leaves glaucous adaxially with prominent 2 and 3 veins of S. pedicellaris.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 159. FNA vol. 7, p. 153.
Parent taxa Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Sitchenses Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Geyerianae
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. pyrifolia, S. raupii, S. reticulata, S. richardsonii, S. rotundifolia, S. scouleriana, S. sericea, S. serissima, S. sessilifolia, S. setchelliana, S. silicicola, 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. 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. coulteri, S. sitchensis var. parvifolia S. geyeriana var. argentea, S. geyeriana var. meleina
Name authority Sanson ex Bongard: Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.-Pétersbourg, Sér. 6, Sci. Math. 2: 162. (1832) Andersson: Öfvers. Kongl. Vetensk.-Akad. Förh. 15: 122. (1858)
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