SA L IX myrsinites.
Green Whortle-leaved Willow.
DIOEC1A Diandria.
Gen. Char. Male, Cal. the scales of a catkin. Cor.
none. Ne ctary a gland at the base of the stamina.
Siam. 1—5. Female, Cal. and Nect. like the male.
Cor. none. Stigmas 2. Caps, superior, of 1 cell
and 2 valves. Seeds downy.
Spec. Char. Leaves elliptical, serrated, smooth, veiny,
polished on both sides. Young branches hairy.
Capsules awlshaped, downy.
Syn. Salix myrsinites. L inn. Sp. PI. 1445. FI. L a p .
n. 3 5 3 . Sm. FI. B r it. 1054. Hoffm. Sal. v. 1. 71.
t. 18, and possibly 17. FI. Dan. t. 1054.
S. retusa. Dicks. T r . o f L . Soc. v. 2. 288. TVith. 48.
Hull. 218.
SPECIMENS gathered by Mr. Stuart on the mountains of
Glen-co, a spot too celebrated in the reign of King William III.,
prove this species to be British. These are in Mr. Lightfoot’s
herbarium; and he has written upon them, “ I take this to be
S. myrsinites rather than that I had b e f o r e i n which he is
right. His own myrsinites however (my prunifiolio.) has till now
gone by that name among us ; and hence Mr. Dickson, who
also found the true one in Scotland, took that for S. retusa.
Both are confounded together by Hoffmann, because he received
them both as myrsinites from his correspondents.
Our true kind is a little sturdy upright shrub, scarcely 2 feet
high, with numerous short thick divaricated branches, hairy
when young. It blossoms in April, May, or even June. The
leaves are rigid, shining, elliptical, broad, serrated, recurved,
very green, veiny; their withered skeletons often remain on
the branches through winter. The young leaves are a little
silky. Stipulae serrated, smooth, spreading, often v.ery large.
Catkins terminal, erect, thick and obtuse, purplish. Antherse
blueish. Scales obovate. Nectary notched. Capsule tapering,
downy when young. Stigmas oblong, cloven.
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