| Salix exigua | ||||||||||||||
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 staminate flower | ||||||||||||||
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| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Salix exigua Nutt. | ||||||||||||||
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| Salix argophylla Salix hindsiana Salix linearifolia Salix luteosericea Salix malacophylla Salix nevadensis Salix parishiana |
Salix exigua is a species of willow known by the common names sandbar willow, narrowleaf willow, and coyote willow. It is native to western North America from Alaska and British Columbia south to Mexico. This is a tall shrub reaching 6 to 7 meters in maximum height. The green, silky leaves are long and narrow and have widely spaced small teeth. The shrub produces both staminate and pistillate flowers, the latter of which produces sheafs of shiny white silk. This plant is considered a threatened species in some states in the Eastern US.
This willow had many uses for Native Americans; the branches were used as flexible poles and building materials, the smaller twigs were used to make baskets, the bark was made into cord and string, and the bark and leaves had several medicinal uses.