S A L I X r e tic u la ta .
Wrinkled Willow.
DIOECIA Diandria.
G e n . Ch a r . Male, Cal. the scales o f a catkin. Cor.
none. Nectary a gland at the base o f the stamina.
Stam. 1—-5. Female, Cal. and Nect. like the male,
Cor. none. Stigmas 2. Caps, superior, o f 1 cell
and 2 valves.. Seeds downy.
S p e c . C h a r . Leaves orbicular inclining to elliptical,
obtuse, entire, smooth, reticulated with veins ;
glaucous beneath. Capsules shaggy.
S yn. Salix reticulata. Linn. Sp. PI. 1446. FI. Lapp,
ed. 2. 2 9 6 . t. 8. f 1. t. 7. f 1 , 2. Sm. FI. Brit.
1 0 5 7 . Huds. 4 2 8 . With. 4 9 . Hull. 2 1 8 .
Light/. 6 0 1 . Dicks. Dr. PI. 4 4. Fl. Dan. t. 212.
Hoffm. Sal. v. 2. 3. t. 2 5— 27-
S . pumila, folio rotundo. Raii Syn. 4 4 9 .
S e n t us from the Scottish mountain of Ben Lawers by the
late Mr. A . Bruce, but in a dried state, so that we have had
recourse to the Hon. C. Greville’s garden in order to be correct
in our colours, and to an exotic specimen for the male
catkin. It is one of the most elegant of our Alpine plants,
and is found also in Wales and Yorkshire, blossoming in
June- or July.
The roots are thick and woody, and the branching stems
cling close to their native rocks, forming a carpet or tapestry
over them. Leaves on long footstalks, without stipulas, an
inch broad, orbicular or elliptical, smooth, rigid and coriaceous,
entire, though the projection of the spaces between
the beautiful net-work of the veins sometimes gives an appearance
of notches; they are dark green and shining above;
glaucous and opaque beneath. When young they are finely
downy. Catkins on longish, terminal, red, downy stalks,
cylindrical, many-flowered, reddish. Scales obovate, woolly.
Nectary, in the female at least, of 4 awlshaped glands.
Germen and capsule ovate, sessile, cottony. Stigmas deeply
divided, with hardly any style.