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bearberry willow

goat willow, hoary willow

Habit Plants 0.01–0.05 m, (dwarf), forming clonal compact mats by layering. Shrubs or trees, 8–15 m. Stems: branches brownish, not glaucous, pubescent to glabrescent, (peeled wood smooth or striate, striae sparse, to 6 mm); branchlets yellow-brown or gray-brown, sparsely to densely villous, velvety, or pubescent.
Stems

prostrate, short-trailing;

branches red-brown, gray-brown, or yellow-brown, glabrous;

branchlets yellow-green or yellow-brown, glabrous or puberulent.

Leaves

stipules (sometimes marcescent) absent, rudimentary, or foliaceous on early ones, foliaceous on late ones;

petiole (shallowly to deeply grooved adaxially), 2–6.5 mm;

largest medial blade (marcescent), amphistomatous or hypostomatous, ovate, broadly obovate, oblanceolate, or elliptic, 4–23 × 3.5–10 mm, 1.7–3.6 times as long as wide, base convex or cuneate, margins flat, serrulate or crenulate, apex convex, acuminate, acute, or retuse, abaxial surface glaucous, usually glabrous (rarely few hairs), adaxial slightly or highly glossy, usually glabrous (rarely a few hairs);

proximal blade margins entire or serrate;

juvenile blade glabrous, pilose, or puberulent abaxially.

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

petiole convex to flat adaxially, 7–25 mm, tomentose to glabrescent adaxially;

largest medial blade narrowly elliptic, broadly elliptic, oblanceolate, obovate, or broadly oblong, 50–130 × 25–80 mm, 2–3 times as long as wide, base cuneate or convex, margins slightly revolute, entire, crenate, or sinuate, (glands submarginal or epilaminal), apex acuminate or convex, abaxial surface glaucous, sparsely tomentose or pubescent, hairs erect, wavy, adaxial dull or slightly glossy, sparsely pubescent;

proximal blade margins entire;

juvenile blade green, densely tomentose abaxially, hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous.

Staminate flowers

abaxial nectary absent, adaxial nectary narrowly oblong or oblong, 0.4–0.9 mm;

filaments distinct, glabrous;

stamens usually 1, rarely 2;

anthers ellipsoid or shortly cylindrical, 0.4–0.7 mm.

adaxial nectary oblong or square, 0.4–0.7 mm;

filaments distinct, glabrous;

anthers yellow, ellipsoid or shortly cylindrical, 0.7–1.1 mm.

Pistillate flowers

abaxial nectary absent, adaxial nectary narrowly oblong or oblong, 0.5–0.8 mm, shorter to longer than stipe;

stipe 0.3–1.6 mm;

ovary ovoid or pyriform, glabrous, beak gradually tapering to styles;

ovules 4–9 per ovary;

styles 0.4–1 mm;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded tip, or slenderly cylindrical, 0.1–0.23–0.4 mm.

adaxial nectary oblong, narrowly oblong, or square, 0.4–0.9 mm, shorter than stipe;

stipe 2–2.5 mm;

ovary pyriform, densely short-silky, beak gradually tapering to styles;

ovules 12–14 per ovary;

styles 0.3–0.6 mm;

stigmas slenderly cylindrical, 0.4–0.55–0.6 mm.

Capsules

3–5 mm.

6–12 mm.

Catkins

staminate 9–19 × 5–8 mm, flowering branchlet 0.5–9 mm; pistillate densely flowered, slender to subglobose, 11–47(–55 in fruit) × 6–10 mm, flowering branchlet 2–10 mm;

floral bract brown, black, tawny, light rose, or bicolor, 1.1–1.8 mm, apex rounded or acute, entire, abaxially sparsely hairy, hairs straight or wavy.

flowering before leaves emerge; staminate subglobose or globose, 16–39 × 12–30 mm, flowering branchlet 0–3 mm; pistillate densely flowered, stout or subglobose, 27–64 × 10–25 mm, flowering branchlet 0–7 mm;

floral bract dark brown or black, 2–4 mm, apex acute or rounded, abaxially hairy, hairs (white), straight.

2n

= 38.

= 38.

Salix uva-ursi

Salix caprea

Phenology Flowering mid Jun-early Aug. Flowering mid Mar-mid Jun.
Habitat Exposed, often dry or moist, calcareous, serpentine, dioritic, and granitic rocks, boulders, gravel, sand on beaches, outcrops, in snowbeds Thickets and roadsides
Elevation 10-1200 m (0-3900 ft) 20-4600 m (100-15100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ME; NH; NY; VT; NL; NS; NU; QC; SPM; Greenland
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; IL; MA; MD; MI; NC; NE; NY; OH; PA; WA; ON; Europe [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Hybrids:

Salix uva-ursi forms natural hybrids with S. herbacea.

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

Hybrids:

Salix ×smithiana Willdenow: S. caprea × S. viminalis is an introduced European hybrid commonly naturalized in eastern Canada (New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island), where it was introduced for coarse basketry. Only pistillate specimens are known and seed-set has not been noted. Its spread is apparently by cultivation and stem fragmentation. It is characterized by: shrubs or trees, 2–10 m; branches yellow-brown, brownish, or gray-brown, pubescent to glabrescent, ± brittle at base, peeled 3–5 year-old branches smooth or striate, striae few, 0–6 mm; branchlets not glaucous, moderately densely pubescent; largest medial leaf blades very narrowly elliptic, narrowly elliptic, or narrowly oblong, 2.8–4.9(–6.4) times as long as wide, margins entire or sinuate, adaxial surfaces pubescent; catkins flowering before leaves emerge; stipes 0.9–2 mm; ovaries pyriform to obclavate, moderately to very densely short-silky; styles 0.5–1.2 mm; stigmas slenderly cylindrical, lobes 0.6–1.2 mm; and capsules 5–7 mm.

Hybrids Salix caprea × S. viminalis and S. cinerea × S. viminalis are commonly recognized in North American floras. They are difficult to separate and their nomenclature is confusing. I am following G. Larsson (1995), who typified S. ×smithiana and cited S. ×sericans (formerly S. cinerea × S. viminalis) and S. caprea × S. viminalis as synonyms. These two S. viminalis hybrids are very similar. Salix caprea × S. viminalis has wood with striae 2–6 mm and leaves usually broadest in the middle; S. cinerea × S. viminalis has decorticated wood with striae 10+ mm and leaves usually broader toward the tip (B. Jonsell and T. Karlsson 2000+, vol. 1). Authentic S. cinerea × S. viminalis has not been seen from the flora area.

See 86. Salix pellita and 98. S. viminalis for more discussion of morphologies.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 73. FNA vol. 7, p. 131.
Parent taxa Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Chamaetia > sect. Myrtosalix Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Cinerella
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. sitchensis, S. sphenophylla, S. stolonifera, S. taxifolia, S. thurberi, S. tracyi, S. triandra, S. turnorii, S. tweedyi, S. tyrrellii, 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. 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. 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. ivigtutiana, S. myrsinites var. parvifolia
Name authority Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 610. (1813) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1020. (1753)
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