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Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains

Salicaceae, The Willow Family

Dioecious spring-flowering trees and shrubs with simple, alternate, usually stipulate leaves, the stipules often deciduous. Flowers in erect or pendulous, bracteate catkins, the bracts small and scalelike, often deciduous, each flower provided with either 1 or 2 enlarged basal glands (Salix) or an oblique, cup-shaped disk (Populus) positioned just inside the bract; perianth none; male flowers each consisting of 2-many stamens; female flowers comprised of a single pistil; carpels 2 or 4; stigmas equaling the number of carpels, sessile or with a common style, ovary 1-celled, ovules many. Fruit a many-seeded capsule, dehiscent by 2-4 valves; seeds minute, tufted with long, white silky hairs.

Lead Characteristic Go To
1 Large tree; leaf blades deltoid-ovate; flowers subtended by an obliquely cup-shaped disk; catkin bracts fimbriate; stamens (30)40-80; capsules 3- or 4-valved. Genus Populus
1 Shrubs and trees; leaf blades ovate, elliptic, lanceolate, linear-lanceolate, obovate or oblanceolate; flowers subtended by 1 or 2 enlarged glands; catkin bracts entire; stamens 2 or 3-8(12); capsules 2-valved. Genus Salix

21. Salicaceae, the Willow Family
1. Populus L. -- Aspen, cottonwood, poplar
1. Populus deltoides Bartr. ex Marsh. -- Cottonwood
2. Salix L. -- Willow
1. Salix alba L. -- White willow
2. Salix amygdaloides Anderss. -- Peachleaf willow
3. Salix bebbiana Sarg. -- Beaked willow
4. Salix candida Fluegee -- Sage-leaved willow, hoary willow
5. Salix discolor Muhl. -- Pussy willow
6. Salix eriocephala Michx. -- Diamond willow, Missouri willow
7. Salix exigua Nutt. -- Sandbar willow, coyote willow
8. Salix fragilis L. -- Crack-willow, brittle willow
9. Salix humilis Marsh. -- Prairie willow
10. Salix lucida Muhl. -- Shining willow
11. Salix lutea Nutt. -- Yellow willow
12. Salix maccalliana Rowlee
13. Salix pedicellaris Pursh -- Bog willow
14. Salix pentandra L.-- Laurel-leaved willow
15. Salix petiolaris Sm. -- Meadow willow
16. Salix planifolia Pursh -- Planeleaf willow
17. Salix pseudomonticola Ball -- Serviceberry willow
18. Salix serissima (Bailey) Fern. -- Autumn willow

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