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

silky willow

Habit Plants sometimes forming clones by stem fragmentation.
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 (highly brittle at base), gray-brown or violet, not glaucous, tomentose to glabrescent;

branchlets red-brown, violet, or mottled yellow-brown, sparsely to densely velvety.

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 absent or rudimentary on early ones, late ones 1.2–4 mm, apex acute or acuminate;

petiole convex to flat, or shallowly grooved adaxially, 3.5–12(–21) mm, (sometimes 2 spherical glands distally), velvety adaxially;

largest medial blade lorate, narrowly oblong, or narrowly elliptic, (48–)54–82–100(–125) × (7–)9–16.7–25 mm, base cuneate or convex, margins flat, serrulate or crenulate, apex acute, acuminate, or convex, abaxial surface glaucous (sometimes obscured by hairs), densely short-silky, hairs straight, adaxial dull, sparsely pubescent to glabrescent;

proximal blade margins entire;

juvenile blade reddish or yellowish green, very densely short-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 ovate to oblong, 0.3–0.8 mm;

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

anthers purple turning yellow, 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, ovate, or flask-shaped, 0.4–0.7 mm;

ovary ovoid, beak abruptly tapering to styles;

ovules 6 per ovary;

styles 0.2–0.4 mm.

Capsules

4–6 mm.

2.5–4 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 or just before leaves emerge; staminate stout, 13.5–40 × 4–9 mm, flowering branchlet 0–2 mm; pistillate loosely to moderately densely flowered, slender to stout, 18–43 × 5–12 mm, flowering branchlet 1–3 mm;

floral bract dark brown, black, or bicolor, 0.8–1.5 mm, apex rounded, abaxially hairy, hairs straight or wavy.

2n

= 38.

Salix viminalis

Salix sericea

Phenology Flowering Apr-early May. Flowering early Mar-early Jun.
Habitat Sandy, open woods, cobble rivershores, lake margins, and roadsides Wet, boggy shores, sandy terraces, ledges along streams, low woods, sedge meadows, acid bogs, open seepages, rocky, silty, sandy, or peaty substrates, possibly also on serpentine soils
Elevation 0-300 m (0-1000 ft) 5-1300 m (0-4300 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
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; NS; QC
[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.)

Some specimens of Salix sericea are difficult to separate from S. petiolaris (G. W. Argus 1986). Salix sericea can be distinguished from S. petiolaris in having branches highly brittle at base, stipules on early leaves rudimentary or absent, on late leaves usually foliaceous, juvenile blades usually with white hairs, rarely some ferruginous, ovaries ovoid, beaks abruptly tapering to styles, and capsules 2.5–4 mm; S. petiolaris has branches flexible at base, stipules on all leaves absent or rudimentary, juvenile blades usually with conspicuous ferruginous hairs, ovaries pyriform, beaks gradually tapering to styles, and capsules 5–9 mm.

See 68. Salix eriocephala for comments on differences.

Hybrids:

Salix sericea forms natural hybrids with S. eriocephala and S. petiolaris. Reports of hybrids with S. humilis (C. K. Schneider 1921; M. L. Fernald 1950) are not based on convincing specimens.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 149. FNA vol. 7, p. 157.
Parent taxa Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Viminella Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Griseae
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. 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. 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. coactilis
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1021. (1753) Marshall: Arbust Amer., 140. (1785)
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