/ / 5 [ 2341 ]
S A L I X vacciniifolia.
Bilberry-leaved Willow.
DIO EC I A Diandria.
G en. Char. Male, Cal, the scales o f a catkin. Cor,
none. Ne ctary a gland at the base o f the stamina.
Stam. 1— 5 . Female, Cal. and N e d . like the male.
Cor. none. . Stigrnas 2. Caps, superior, o f 1 cell
and 2 valves. Seeds downy.
Spec. Char. Leaves ovate, se rra te d ; smooth, and
even above ; glaucous and silky beneath. C ap sules
ovate, silky. Stems decumbent.
Syn. Salicis prunifoli® varietas. Sm. FI. B rit. 1 0 5 5 ,
S. myrtilloides. Donn. Cant. ed. 5 . 2 3 1 .
COMMUNICATED by Mr. George Anderson, F.L.S.,
from his garden. It appears to be not uncommon in Scotland,
especially in the south. We had specimens near thirty years
ago from the garden of the Rev. Dr. Walker at Moffat, whq
is said to have given this species the name we have adopted,
and we have never been able satisfactorily to refer those specimens
either to our S. prunifolia, t. 1361, or venulosa, t. 1362;
neither were we quite certain of one from the Rev. Dr. Stuart,
mentioned in FI. Brit, under the former.
The present plant differs from prunifolia in its humble, partly
procumbent, mode of growth, smaller size, slender branches,
and narrower leaves, which are much more silky beneath with
close-pressed hairs. In their catkins we find no material disagreement.
It differs from venulosa in the even upper surface
of the leaves, and thicker catkins.—The plant before us may
possibly be the myrtilloides of Villars, of which we have a
morsel from the author, but it is not that of Linnaeus.—The
reader will please to observe, that where silkiness of leaves, or
downiness of branches, is mentioned in our account of prunifolia,
we had rather this species in view, as a supposed variety,
in which those characters are, at least, more remarkable.
Oct. t itiU./uf/liFicijliu fa.*