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Willow (view source)

Revision as of 21:37, 30 April 2009

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{alternateuses}}
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__NOTOC__{{Plantbox
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{{Taxobox
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| name = ''Salix''
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| color = lightgreen
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| common_names = Willow
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| name = Willows
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| growth_habit = shrubs or trees{{SSN}}
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| high =    <!--- 1m (3 ft) -->
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| wide =    <!--- 65cm (25 inches) -->
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| origin =    <!--- Mexico, S America, S Europe, garden, etc -->
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| poisonous =    <!--- indicate parts of plants which are known/thought to be poisonous -->
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| lifespan =    <!--- perennial, annual, etc -->
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| exposure = full sun{{SSN}}
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| water = lots of water{{SSN}}
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| features =    <!--- flowers, fragrance, fruit, naturalizes, invasive -->
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| hardiness =    <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc -->
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| bloom =    <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for its flowers -->
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| usda_zones =    <!--- eg. 8-11 -->
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| sunset_zones = varies by species
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| color = IndianRed
 
| image = Willow.jpg
 
| image = Willow.jpg
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| image_width = 270px
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| image_width = 200px    <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical -->
 
| image_caption = Weeping Willow
 
| image_caption = Weeping Willow
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| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
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| regnum = Plantae
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| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
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| divisio = Magnoliophyta
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| classis = [[Dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
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| classis = Magnoliopsida
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| ordo = [[Malpighiales]]
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| ordo = Malpighiales
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| familia = [[Salicaceae]]
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| familia = Salicaceae
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| genus = '''''Salix''''' [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
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| genus = Salix
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| subdivision_ranks = Species
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| species =
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| subdivision =  
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| subspecies =
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| cultivar =  
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}}
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{{Inc|
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Salix (ancient Latin name of willow). Salicaceae. Willow. Dioecious trees and shrubs, planted for the foliage and interesting habit, for shade, screens, and cover; flowers in catkins, mostly in spring and in many species very early.
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Erect, or some arctic and alpine species prostrate, glabrous, pubescent or tomentose: lvs. simple, alternate, mostly elongated and pointed, the stipules persistent and prominent or caducous: buds with a single bud-scale: fls. in lax scaly spikes (aments or catkins), each fl. subtended by a single entire scale and nearly or quite destitute of perianth; the staminate fl. with 1,2, or 3-6 stamens; the pistillate fl. of a single pistil composed of 2 carpels and 2 more or less divided stigmas; at maturity the pistil dehisces, setting free the small appendaged seeds.—Species and species-like hybrids probably 300, widely spread in the northern hemisphere and a few in the southern hemisphere; no native species are reported in New Zeal. and Austral. In temperate regions, they are mostly plants of water-courses, shores, and swamps; but a good number run into the far N. and the high elevations where conditions of moisture are maintained. The wood is light, soft, and porous. For the staminate and pistillate fls. of willow, see Fig. 1528, Vol. III. The catkins or "pussies" are also shown in Figs. 3521 and 3522 herewith. In rare cases, a willow may be monoecious.
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Many hybrids have been described based on specimens found in nature that presented characters intermediate between recognized species. Artificial hybrids have also been made between many species. The dioecious habit of the species seems to facilitate cross- pollination, and it is probable that the intermediate forms so frequently met with and designated in the monographs as varieties are natural hybrids. Upward of one hundred hybrid willows have been described as growing in Europe. Although as many or even more species occur in America, fewer hybrids have been detected here. The hybrids described as growing in America are for the most part between native species and those introduced from Europe. Because of the hybridity and the fact that the sexes are separated, the genus Salix is considered to be very critical and difficult for the systematist.
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The role that the willow plays in the north temperate regions is to a certain extent analogous to that of the eucalyptus in subtropical regions; it flourishes in wet ground and absorbs and transpires immense quantities of water. It has been used to plant around cesspools for sanitary effect. But while most of the species occur spontaneously in wet ground or along stream-banks, the willows may be cultivated in various situations. The white willow (S. alba) has been used very effectively to fix stream-banks against erosion. (Figs. 3523, 3524.) Its root-system is very extensive and when well established withstands the effect of heavy rapid streams as well as wave-action. S. arctica and several allied species are among the few woody plants extending into extreme arctic regions. The arctic species are among the most diminutive of woody plants. As one goes south the species increase in size. Some of the species of North Temperate, Tropical and South Temperate zones are large trees. The arborescent species all form wood very rapidly. Specimens of white willow which may not be of great age look venerable from their great thickness of trunk and size of top. The wood is light in weight and color, finely and evenly porous. The wood has been extensively used in manufacture of gunpowder. It has also been used for many other purposes. Certain species have been extensively cultivated for many years in Europe for materials with which to manufacture baskets. S. viminalis appears to be the favorite species for this purpose. Basket willow is now extensively planted in central New York, and considerable manufacturing of this material is under way. It is probable that the Chinese and Japanese willows recently described will yield useful forms for American planting; in Plantae Wilsonianae, III, pt. 1, describing Chinese plants, Schneider admits regularly 183 species.
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As ornamental trees the willows present little variety. The bright yellow catkins of some species are attractive in spring. They are considerably used as "nurse trees" for slower-growing trees that require partial shade while young. The red and yellow branches of certain willows are very bright and cheering in winter. The weeping forms are very popular, but they are often planted with little sense of fitness. The cultural remarks under Populus will apply to willows.
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The species of willows are readily propagated by cuttings. It has been suggested that the brittleness at base of twigs of some species, notably the black willow (S. nigra), is an adaptation to facilitate the natural distribution of the species. Certain it is that twigs broken from the tree by the wind are carried down streams and, becoming anchored in the muddy banks, grow readily. It is one of the most aggressive trees in occupying such places. Willows may also be propagated by seed. The seeds are very small and contain a green and short-lived embryo. A very short exposure of the seeds to the air will so dry them out that they will not germinate. The safest way to secure seedlings is to plant the seeds as soon as the capsule opens.
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==Cultivation==
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{{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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===Propagation===
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{{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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===Pests and diseases===
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{{edit-pests}}<!--- Type pest/disease info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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==Species==
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About 350, including:<br/>
 
About 350, including:<br/>
 
''[[Salix acutifolia]]'' - [[Violet Willow]]<br/>
 
''[[Salix acutifolia]]'' - [[Violet Willow]]<br/>
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''[[Salix yezoalpina]]''<br/>
 
''[[Salix yezoalpina]]''<br/>
 
''[[Salix yoshinoi]]''<br/>
 
''[[Salix yoshinoi]]''<br/>
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{{Inc|
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S. aglaia, Hort.=S. daphnoides.—S. amygdalina, Linn. (S. triandra. Linn.). Usually shrubby, to 12 ft.: branchlets glabrous, rarely slightly silky: lvs. lanceolate, glabrous, pale green or bluish below, to 5 in. long: fls. shortly before or with the lvs.; stamens 3; ovary long-stalked, glabrous. Eu.—S. Bakeri, Seemen, is probably a form of S. lasiolepis.—S. Bockii, Von Seemen. An ornamental dwarf species: lvs. oblong or oval, 1/4-1/2 in. long, mucronate, dark green and glabrescent above, silvery with silky appressed hairs beneath: aments 1-2 in. long, produced in Oct. and Nov. before the fall of the lvs. China.—S. chrysocoma. Dode, is a hybrid between S. babylonica and S. vitellina.—S. daphnoides, Vill. Ten to 20 ft. high: twigs violet: lvs. narrow-oblong or linear-lanceolate, very acuminate. 3-6 in. long.—S. Hankensonii, Dode. Apparently a natural hybrid between a species of the group of S. nigra and one of the group of S. babylonica.—S. heterandra, Dode. Possibly hybrid between a species of the S. purpurea group and one allied to S. pentandra. Shrub: lvs. lanceolate-obovate or narrowly lanceolate, 3—4 in. long, remotely serrate, glabrous, light green above, whitish- glaucous beneath: male aments about 1 3/4 in. long: Caucasus.—S. hypoleuca, Seemen. Shrub, to 10ft.: lvs. elliptic to lanceolate, acute, glabrous at maturity, glaucous below, 1-2 in. long: aments with the lvs. 1-2 in. long. Cent. W. China.—S. japonica, Thunb. (S. babylonica var. japonica, Anderss.). Shrub, to 6 ft.: lvs. ovate-oblong to lanceolate, remotely serrate, glabrous, grayish green beneath, to 3 in. long: aments slender, 2 1/2-3 1/2 in. long; ovary glabrous. Japan.— S.lasiolepis, Benth. Arroyo Willow. Shrub or tree, 8-25 ft. high: lvs. oblong, suborbicular, obovate or linear acute, obscurely serrulate, 1 1/2-5 in. long: aments appearing before the lvs., sessile, densely silky-tomentose in the bud, suberect: caps. glabrous or puberulent, short-pedicelled. Calif.—S. lispocladus, Dode. Lvs. ovate-lanceolate, about 2 1/2 in. long, serrate, light green and shining above, whitish glaucous beneath: male aments appearing late. Caucasus.— S. magnifica, Hemsl. Shrub, to 20 ft.: lvs. oval to obovate, shortly and obtusely acuminate, glabrous, pale beneath, to 8 in. long and to 5 in. wide; petiole purplish: staminate aments to 7 in., pistillate to 11 in. long. W. China. A remarkable willow, but tender N. J. H.S. 39. p. 137, fig. 148.—S. Matsudana, Koidsumi (S. babylonica var. pekinensis, Henry). Tree, to 40 ft.: branchlets ascending or pendulous, greenish: lvb. narrowly lanceolate, serrulate, glabrous, 2-4 in. long: aments with the lvs., about 1/2 in. long. N. E. Asia.—S. Medemii, Boiss., of the Armenia-Persia region is an upright species 12 ft. and more high with oblong somewhat serrate lvs. abruptly pointed.—S. Medwedewii, Dode. Shrub or small tree: lvs. very narrow, up to 4 in. long: female aments appearing late, cylindric, 1 1/4 in. long. Caucasus.—P. oxica, Dode. Lvs. large, glaucescent, giving the tree a bluish appearance. Cent. Asia.—S. persica, Boiss. Similar to P. babylonica. Trunk pale ashy gray or brownish: lvs. very shortly stalked, somewhat falcate, long-acuminate, serrulate. Persia.—S. Rehderiana, Schneid. Shrub, to 10 ft.: branchlets sparingly hairy or glabrous: lvs. lanceolate, crenulate, whitish and silky beneath, with yellow midrib, 2-5 in. long: aments precocious, about 1 in. long; anthers purple at first; ovaries glabrous. W. China. —S. renecia is a hybrid, of which S. cinerea is a parent.—S. Tominii, Dode. Tree with spreading branches: lvs. obovate to lanceolate, 3 1/3- 4 in. long or more, remotely serrate: male aments at first conical and rosy at apex, afterward ovate-cylindric, 3/4 in. long. W. Asia.—S. triandra, Linn.=S. amygdalina.—S. Wallichiana, Anderss. Shrub or small tree: lvs. ovate- to oblong-lanceolate, entire, silky beneath like the young branchlets, 2-3 in. long: staminate aments 1 in. long, pistillate 3—5 in.: caps slender, silky. Himayalas, Cent. and W. China.—S. zygostemon. Hook. f. & Thorn. Probably a natural hybrid between S. purpurea and S. Medemii.—S. Wentworthii, Hort., is described as a tall upright rapid-growing willow with bright red bark: botanical position to be determined.
 
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The '''willows''' are [[deciduous]] [[tree]]s and [[shrub]]s in the genus '''''Salix''''', part of the willow family [[Salicaceae]].
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==Gallery==
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{{photo-sources}}<!-- remove this line if there are already 3 or more photos in the gallery  -->
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There are about 350 species in this genus worldwide, found primarily on moist [[soil]]s in cooler zones in the [[Northern Hemisphere]]. The [[leaf|leaves]] are deciduous, often elongate but round to oval in a few species, and with a serrated margin. Willows are [[plant sexuality|dioecious]] with male and female [[flower]]s appearing as [[catkin]]s on different plants; the catkins are produced early in the spring, often before the leaves or as the new leaves open. The [[fruit]] is a small [[capsule (fruit)|capsule]] containing numerous tiny (0.1 mm) [[seed]]s embedded in white down, which assists wind dispersal of the seeds. Willows are very cross-fertile and numerous [[hybrid]]s are known, both naturally occurring and in cultivation.
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Some smaller species may also be known by the common names ''osier'' and ''sallow''; the latter name is derived from the same root as the [[Latin]] ''salix''.
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Some willows, particularly [[arctic]] and [[alpine climate|alpine]] species, are very small; the '''Dwarf Willow''' (''Salix herbacea'') rarely exceeds 6 cm in height, though spreading widely across the ground.
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The '''Weeping Willow''', very widely planted as an [[ornamental plant|ornamental tree]], is a [[cultivar]], ''Salix × sepulcralis'' 'Chrysocoma', derived from a hybrid between the [[China|Chinese]] [[Peking Willow]] and the [[Europe]]an [[White Willow]].
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Almost all willows take root very readily from cuttings or where broken branches lie on the ground. There are a few exceptions, including the [[Goat Willow]] and [[Peachleaf Willow]]. One famous example of such growth from cuttings involves the poet [[Alexander Pope]], who begged a twig from a parcel tied with twigs sent from Spain to Lady Suffolk. This twig was planted and thrived, and legend has it that all of England's Weeping Willows are descended from this first one [http://www.uab.edu/english/hone/etexts/edb/day-pages/221-aug09.html].
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<gallery>
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Willows are used as food plants by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] species - see [[list of Lepidoptera which feed on Willows]].
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Image:Upload.png| photo 1
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Image:Upload.png| photo 2
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Image:Upload.png| photo 3
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</gallery>
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A number of willow species were widely planted in Australia in the past, notably as erosion control measures along watercourses.  They are now regarded as an invasive [[weed]] and many catchment management authorities are removing them to be replaced with native trees [http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/dpi/nreninf.nsf/childdocs/-1C62D26CD3AF6FE44A2568B300051289-8E21A59E53B35BEFCA256BC80005C14F-E1EB709D7DCE1BC9CA256F070003E8D8-FAC3FFA202EA6384CA256BCF000AD522?open].. [http://www.hoadley.net/cremer/willows/docs/WillowInBiodiversity.pdf].
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==References==
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*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
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<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->
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==Uses==
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==External links==
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;Medicinal uses
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*{{wplink}}
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The bark of the willow tree has been mentioned in ancient texts from [[Assyria]], [[Sumer]] and [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]] as a remedy for aches and [[fever]], and the [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] physician [[Hippocrates]] wrote about its medicinal properties in the [[5th century BC]]. [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]] across the American continent relied on it as a staple of their medical treatments.
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The active extract of the bark, called [[salicin]], was isolated to its crystalline form in 1828 by [[Henri Leroux]], a French pharmacist, and [[Raffaele Piria]], an Italian chemist, who then succeeded in separating out the acid in its pure state. Salicin is acidic when in a [[saturation (chemistry)|saturated solution]] in water (''p''H = 2.4), and is called [[salicylic acid]] for that reason.
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{{stub}}
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[[Category:Categorize]]
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In 1897 [[Felix Hoffmann]] created a synthetically altered version of salicin (in his case derived from the ''[[Spiraea]]'' plant), which caused less digestive upset than pure salicylic acid. The new drug, formally ''[[Acetylsalicylic acid]]'', was named [[aspirin]] by Hoffmann's employer [[Bayer|Bayer AG]]. This gave rise to the hugely important class of drugs known as [[NSAIDs|non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs]] (NSAIDs).
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