Salix sitchensis |
Salix ligulifolia |
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Coulter willow, Sitka willow |
strap-leaf willow, strap-leafed willow, tongue-leaf willow |
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Habit | Shrubs or trees, 1–8 m, (sometimes forming clones by stem fragmentation). | 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). |
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). |
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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 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. |
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 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. |
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, 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. |
Capsules | 3.5–5.6 mm. |
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 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. |
2n | = 38. |
= 38. |
Salix sitchensis |
Salix ligulifolia |
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Phenology | Flowering early Apr-mid Jun (Mar in California). | Flowering late Mar-mid Jun(-late Jul). |
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 | Banks and floodplains, cienegas, sandy-clay or gravelly substrates |
Elevation | 0-1800 m (0-5900 ft) | 0-3100 m (0-10200 ft) |
Distribution |
AK; CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; AB; BC
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AZ; CA; CO; NM; OR; UT; WY
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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 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.) |
Source | FNA vol. 7, p. 159. | FNA vol. 7, p. 122. |
Parent taxa | Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Sitchenses | Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Cordatae |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. coulteri, S. sitchensis var. parvifolia | S. lutea var. ligulifolia, S. eriocephala var. ligulifolia |
Name authority | Sanson ex Bongard: Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.-Pétersbourg, Sér. 6, Sci. Math. 2: 162. (1832) | (C. R. Ball) C. R. Ball ex C. K. Schneider: J. Arnold Arbor. 2: 188. (1922) |
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