leaves are large and closely resemble those of the leafy
twigs, and the scales of the catkin are naked except a marginal
fringe.
An upright shrub about 10 feet high ; probably of more
humble growth in its native stations. Twigs shining,
greenish, tinged with brown, especially in the young state,
when they are more or less downy, but often very slightly
so. Leaves on short stalks, thin, dark-green, still more
glittering than those of S. nitens, and without pubescence,
except a little on the upper side of the mid-rib and leafstalk
; nerves and veins very slightly sunk above, prominent
on the under-side, which is very glaucous; margin
slightly crenate and toothed, rarely undulate. Stipules
small and like those of S. nitens. The catkins appear a
little before the leaves, about the same time as those of
S. nitens, to which they are very similar. The calyx-scales
however are less concave, rather more pointed and lanceolate,
and their upper half more generally blackish brown,
even in freshly opened flowers. The female catkins are
longer, and the gertnen on a rather longer stalk. The
bracteae are broader, usually ovate ; more generally and
perceptibly serrated in the male plant, mostly, but not
always, entire in the female.
The outline of the leaf is very variable, being orbicular
approaching to cordate, as in the male specimens on our
plate, or elliptical, with the base either rounded or acute,
or with the sides dilated into an almost rhomboidal figure :
in all cases a short oblique point is mostly found. In what
seems a variety of this species the leaves are more conspicuously
toothed, rather silky when young, the young shoots
more downy, and the germen pubescent towards the point
only. This form appears a link between S. Weigeliana
and S. telrapla, and approaches near also to the S. tenui-
folia of Smith from Kirkby Lonsdale, which has indeed
more the habit of $. rupestris and its affinities. The S.
tenuifolia figured in Engl. Bot. t. 2186, is S. bicolor of
Ehrhart; S. bicolor of Engl. Bot. should therefore resume
its first trivial name, laurina. It is difficult to define satisfactorily
the distinctions between S. Weigeliana and
S. nitens; yet the aspect of the two is unlike, from the dark
hue of the whole bush in S. nitens, and there seems to b'e a
real difference in the structure of the leaves.
Whether the nearly allied Willows of this group again
are species or not, is at present a mere matter of opinion, and
it would be difficult to bring it satisfactorily to the test of
experiment. An acute friend holds them ce variations of
varieties, a disgrace tothe page ofbotany. ” Differing widely
from this sentiment, we think it desirable that they should
individually engage the attention of botanists.—W. B.