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Coulter willow, Sitka willow

mountain or park or serviceberry willow, mountain willow, park willow

Habit Shrubs or trees, 1–8 m, (sometimes forming clones by stem fragmentation). Plants 1.5–6 m. Stems: branches yellow-brown or red-brown mottled with green, not or weakly glaucous, glabrous; branchlets red-brown to yellow-brown, glabrous or puberulent, pilose, or villous, (buds caprea-type).
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).

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 or rudimentary on early ones, foliaceous on late ones, apex acute or acuminate;

petiole shallowly grooved, or convex to flat adaxially, 5.5–14 mm, pilose, villous, or velvety to glabrescent adaxially;

largest medial blade (sometimes amphistomatous), narrowly oblong to oblong, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, lanceolate, oblanceolate, or obovate, 35–95 × 11–33 mm, 2–3.9 times as long as wide, base convex, rounded, or subcordate, margins slightly revolute or flat, serrulate, serrate, or sinuate, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface glaucous, glabrous, adaxial dull, glabrous or pilose, midrib pilose to villous;

proximal blade margins entire or serrulate;

juvenile blade sometimes reddish, villous or long-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 narrowly oblong, 0.6–1.1 mm;

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

anthers purple turning yellow, 0.4–0.8 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 narrowly oblong, oblong, or flask-shaped, 0.4–1 mm, shorter than or equal to stipe;

stipe 0.5–1.6 mm;

ovary pyriform, glabrous, beak gradually tapering to styles;

ovules 11–15 per ovary;

styles 0.6–1.1 mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded tip, or broadly cylindrical, 0.24–0.36–0.56 mm.

Capsules

3.5–5.6 mm.

4–7 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.

staminate flowering before or just before leaves emerge, pistillate as leaves emerge; staminate stout, 14–39 × 9–17 mm, flowering branchlet 0.5–7 mm; pistillate densely flowered, stout, 21–60 × 8–16 mm, flowering branchlet 0.5–8 mm;

floral bract brown, black, or bicolor, 1–2 mm, apex rounded to acute, abaxially hairy, hairs wavy, straight, or curly.

2n

= 38.

= 114.

Salix sitchensis

Salix monticola

Phenology Flowering early Apr-mid Jun (Mar in California). Flowering late Apr-early 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 Streams, cienegas, meadows, springs
Elevation 0-1800 m (0-5900 ft) 1700-3500 m (5600-11500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; UT; WY
[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.)

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 159. FNA vol. 7, p. 118.
Parent taxa Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Sitchenses 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. 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. 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. 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. barclayi var. padophylla, S. cordata var. monticola, S. padophylla, S. pseudomonticola var. padophylla
Name authority Sanson ex Bongard: Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.-Pétersbourg, Sér. 6, Sci. Math. 2: 162. (1832) Bebb: in J. M. Coulter, Man. Bot. Rocky Mt., 336. (1885)
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