Salix viminalis |
Salix ×smithiana |
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basket willow, common osier, osier, osier willow, silky osier |
silky-leaf osier |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Capsules | 4–6 mm. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Only | pistillate specimens are known and seed-set has not been noted. |
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It(s) | 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. |
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2n | = 38. |
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Salix viminalis |
Salix ×smithiana |
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Phenology | Flowering Apr-early May. | |
Habitat | Sandy, open woods, cobble rivershores, lake margins, and roadsides | |
Elevation | 0-300 m (0-1000 ft) | |
Distribution |
CT; IA; IN; MA; ME; NJ; NY; OH; RI; VT; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; Europe [Introduced in North America] |
NB; NF; NS; PE [Introduced in North America] |
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.) |
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. 149. | FNA vol. 7, p. 132. |
Parent taxa | Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Viminella | Salicaceae > Salix > subg. Vetrix > sect. Cinerella |
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1021. (1753) | Willdenow |
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