Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center


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Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains

21. Salicaceae, the Willow Family

2. Salix L. -- Willow

2. Salix amygdaloides Anderss. -- Peachleaf willow

Small to medium-sized tree with 1-several trunks, to 12 m tall; twigs gray to light yellow, shiny, flexible; branchlets spreading to drooping, yellow to dark brown, glabrous. Leaves yellowish-green above, pale to white-glaucous beneath, glabrous, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, short to mostly long-acuminate with tail-like tips, acute to nearly rounded at the base, mostly 3-8 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, occasionally much larger on vigorous shoots, finely serrate; petioles glandless or rarely with vestiges of glands on vigorous shoots, often recurved, 5-20(30) mm long; stipules minute and very early deciduous, occasionally well-developed and persistent on vigorous shoots, reniform, 3-12 mm long, serrate. Catkins emerging with the leaves; female catkins 3-8 cm long, on leafy branchlets 1-4 cm long; bracts deciduous, pale yellow, villous on the inside; stamens 4-7. Capsules ovoid, 3-5 mm long, glabrous, uncrowded on the axis giving the catkins a loose, open appearance; stipes 1-2 mm long. Flowering May, fruiting Jun. Floodplains, stream banks, lake and pond borders, moist ravines, ditches and other wet or damp places; common; (Que. and NY to se B.C. and WA, s to PA, KY, MO, nw OK, n TX, NM and AZ).

Salix amygdaloides. Drawings show the early-emerging male (top left) and female (top right) catkins, and a twig with fully expanded leaves.

Map key

Previous Species -- Salix alba L. -- White willow
Return to Family -- Salicaceae - The Willow Family
Next Species -- Salix bebbiana Sarg. -- Beaked willow

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