The Willows in general are more diltinguilhed For their ufes in rural ceconomy, than as ornamental trees o'
fhrubs ; neverthelels, many of them come under the latter defcription, and with them we may rank the prefeni
fpecies, more indeed on account of'its flowers than its foliage. When futfered to grow, it acquires the fiZe Jj
a fmall tree, and the catkins being unufually numerous, render the male plant in particular, in which they arJ
o f a bright yellow colour, and agreeable fcent, an objeCt highly pleafing among other flowering
or trees.
In all Willows planted: for ornament, the male tree is to be preferred ; not only becaufe its catkins are the!
moft brilliant, while the foliage is the fame as that of the female, but becaufe the females, when planted bv!
themfelves, quickly filed their catkins, which make a litter.
The leading chara£er of this Willow, when in flower, is its three ftamina to each floret; now and thej
indeed two only occur, but not fufficiently often to deftroy the excellency of the character: when out ol
flower, it is diftinguilhable by yearly calling the bark of its trunk when of a certain age (whether every jn]
dividual does this or not, I am not certain ; 'a tree of this fpecies in my garden has conftantly done it f0l
many years); its leaves are more Itrongly ferrated than molt others ; the branches in autumn are ufually furl
nilhed with llipulae, but not always : and they have another character which I have found of great confel
quence in determining this fpecies; towards the top they are angular or grooved, in a greater degree than any!
other Willow I have examined— it is notufual for Willows to flower fpring and autumn, but we have f ij
quently found this fpecies to do fo.
In its tree Hate, it grows fparingly in the hedges about town; in the ofier grounds it is not uncommon;
being cultivated as a Balket Willow— it flowers the beginning of May— the bark has more altringency bu|
lefs bitternefs than the Salix monandra, and has been found efficacious in curing intermitting fevers.
We Itrongly fufpeCt that the amygdalina is no other than this fpecies.