Salicaceae

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Read about Salicaceae in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Salicaceae (from the genus Salix, the classical Latin name). Willow Family. Fig. 15. Shrubs or trees, creeping in the arctics: leaves alternate, simple: flowers dioecious, both sexes in catkins, 1 flower to each scale; perianth 0; disk present, cup-shaped or finger-like; stamens 2-many, separate or united; ovary often pedicelled, 1-celled: placentae 2, parietal; ovules numerous; stigmas 2, often each 2-lobed: fruit a capsule; seeds with a basal tuft of long hairs. Salicaceae has 2 genera and about 180 species, of which 160 belong to the genus Salix; inhabitants of the north temperate and arctic zones, a few in the tropics and in South Africa. The family is not definitely related to any other family, though possibly to the Tamaricaceae. The flowers of both sexes in catkins, the glandular disk, and the dehiscent many-seeded capsule with comose seeds, are distinctive. The bark of many species has been used for intermittent fevers and for tanning leather. A yellow dye occurs in the bark of Populus alba and P. tremula, also in Salix alba, S. daphnoides, and others. The resinous buds of P. balsamifera, or tacamahac, furnish American balm of Gilead. The staminate catkins of S. aegyptiaca are odoriferous and are used in the East in medicinal waters, as a cordial, and as a sudorific. Willow and poplar wood is soft and light. The twigs of several species of Salix are universally used in basket-making. The two genera are in cultivation in America, as ornamental plants and for shelter-belts and basket-work and sometimes for timber: Populus (Poplar, Aspen, Tacamahac, Balm of Gilead [not the original], Cottonwood, Abele); and Salix (Willow, Osier).CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Genera

Abatia Aphaerema Azara Banara Bartholomaea Bembicia Bennettiodendron Bivinia Byrsanthus Calantica Carrierea Casearia Chosenia Dissomeria Dovyalis Euceraea Flacourtia Hasseltia

Hasseltiopsis Hecatostemon Hemiscolopia Homalium Idesia Itoa Laetia Lasiochlamys Ludia Lunania Macrohasseltia Mocquerysia Neopringlea Neoptychocarpus Olmediella Oncoba Ophiobotrys Osmelia Phyllobotryon

Phylloclinium Pineda Pleuranthodendron Poliothyrsis Populus - poplar Priamosia Prockia Pseudoscolopia Pseudosmelia Ryania Salix - willow Samyda Scolopia Scyphostegia Tetrathylacium Tisonia Trimeria Xylosma Zuelania

Gerrardina (now considered as a genus of its own family Gerrardinaceae)

Gallery

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

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