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basket willow, common osier, osier, osier willow, silky osier

meadow willow, skeleton-leaf willow, slender willow

Habit Plants 1–6 m.
Stems

branches yellow-brown, gray-brown, or yellowish, not glaucous, glabrous or puberulent;

branchlets yellow-brown or yellowish (sometimes color obscured by hairs), glabrous, densely to sparsely villous, velvety, or puberulent.

branches red-brown or violet, not or weakly glaucous, (dull or slightly glossy), puberulent;

branchlets yellow-green to red-brown, sparsely pubescent or moderately densely velvety, (buds alba-type or intermediate).

Leaves

stipules (not adnate to petioles), rudimentary or absent on early ones, (late ones sometimes brownish, linear, 5.4–10.4 mm), apex acuminate;

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

largest medial blade linear, lorate, narrowly oblong, or narrowly elliptic, 53–130 × 5–33 mm, base cuneate, margins strongly revolute, sinuate or apparently entire, (glands epilaminal), apex acuminate, acute, or convex, abaxial surface apparently glaucous (obscured by hairs), densely short-silky, woolly, or tomentose, (midribs prominent, yellowish, and hairy), hairs appressed, spreading or erect, straight or wavy, adaxial dull or slightly glossy, sparsely or moderately densely pubescent, hairs gray;

proximal blade margins entire;

juvenile blade yellowish green, very densely tomentose or short-silky abaxially, hairs white.

stipules rudimentary or absent;

petiole shallowly grooved adaxially, 3–11 mm, pubescent, or velvety to glabrescent adaxially;

largest medial blade lorate or very narrowly elliptic, 38–110 × 6–19 mm, 5–9 times as long as wide, base cuneate or convex, margins flat to slightly revolute, entire, serrate, serrulate, or spinulose-serrate, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface glaucous, densely long-silky to glabrescent, hairs (white, sometimes also ferruginous), adaxial dull or slightly glossy, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, (hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous);

proximal blade margins sometimes serrulate;

juvenile blade moderately densely long-silky abaxially, hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous.

Staminate flowers

adaxial nectary narrowly oblong or oblong, 0.6–1.5 mm;

filaments distinct;

anthers purple turning yellow, ellipsoid to shortly cylindrical, 0.6–0.8 mm.

adaxial nectary square, ovate, or oblong, 0.3–0.7 mm;

filaments distinct, hairy basally;

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

Pistillate flowers

adaxial nectary narrowly oblong or oblong, 0.9–1.4 mm;

ovary pyriform, beak gradually tapering to styles;

ovules 12–18 per ovary;

styles 0.6–1.8 mm.

adaxial nectary oblong to ovate, 0.3–0.9 mm;

stipe 1.5–4 mm;

ovary pyriform, beak abruptly tapering to styles;

ovules 6–12 per ovary;

styles 0–0.5 mm;

stigmas slenderly to broadly cylindrical, 0.26–0.4–0.8 mm.

Capsules

4–6 mm.

5–9 mm.

Catkins

flowering just before or as leaves emerge; staminate stout, 24–48 mm, flowering branchlet 0–2 mm; pistillate densely flowered, 23–55 mm, flowering branchlet 0–6 mm;

floral bract brown or tawny, 1.6–2.2 mm, apex convex or rounded, abaxially hairy, hairs straight.

flowering as leaves emerge; staminate stout to globose, 12–29 × 6–17 mm, flowering branchlet 0.8–3 mm; pistillate loosely flowered, stout to globose, 12–39 × 6–18 mm, flowering branchlet 1–11 mm;

floral bract brown, tawny, light rose, or bicolor, 1–2 mm, apex rounded, abaxially sparsely hairy, hairs straight.

2n

= 38.

= 38.

Salix viminalis

Salix petiolaris

Phenology Flowering Apr-early May. Flowering mid Apr-mid Jun.
Habitat Sandy, open woods, cobble rivershores, lake margins, and roadsides Sedge meadows, openings in moist, low, rich deciduous woods, sandy or peaty wet prairies, lakeshores
Elevation 0-300 m (0-1000 ft) 10-2700 m (0-8900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; IA; IN; MA; ME; NJ; NY; OH; RI; VT; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; Europe [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; CT; IA; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; SD; VT; WI; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Salix ×smithiana (S. caprea × S. viminalis) is distinguished from S. viminalis by having leaf blades usually broad, 2.8–4.9(–6.4) times as long as wide, stipes 0.9–2 mm, ovaries short-silky, branches ± brittle at base, and petioles flat to convex adaxially; S. viminalis has leaf blades usually very narrow, 4.7–13.7 times as long as wide, stipes 0.1–0.5 mm, ovaries long-silky, branches flexible at base, and petioles shallowly grooved adaxially.

See Salix ×smithiana [p. 132] and 86. S. pellita for further comparative descriptions.

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

See 107. Salix sericea for a comparative description.

Because reproductive barriers between Salix petiolaris and S. eriocephala are weak, A. Mosseler (1990) suggested that their morphological variability may be due to interspecific gene flow.

Hybrids:

Salix petiolaris forms natural hybrids with S. bebbiana, S. candida, S. eriocephala, S. famelica, S. pellita, and S. sericea. Hybrids with S. alba have been reported (M. L. Fernald 1950) but no convincing specimens have been seen. Controlled pollinations with S. discolor produced no seed (A. Mosseler 1990).

Reports of Salix petiolaris × S. sericea from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania (C. K. Schneider 1921) probably refer to the densely sericeous variant of S. petiolaris. It is sometimes named S. ×subsericea (Andersson) C. K. Schneider but does not seem to be a hybrid (G. W. Argus 1965, 1986; E. G. Voss 1972–1996, vol. 2).

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 149. FNA vol. 7, p. 152.
Parent taxa Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Viminella 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. 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. 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. 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. gracilis, S. gracilis var. textoris, S. petiolaris var. gracilis, S. ×subsericea
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1021. (1753) Smith: Trans. Linn. Soc. 6: 122. (1802)
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