|
Salix planifolia (Plane-leaf Willow) Salicaceae (Willow Family) Montane to sub-alpine.
Wetlands, openings. Summer. Salix planifolia is typically about four or five feet tall but can grow from two-to-twelve feet tall. Older stems are gray; younger are purple/black. The plant often occurs in large colonies in wetlands in the high mountains to timber line. Salix planifolia was named and described by Frederick Pursh in 1814 from specimens collected in Labrador. "Planifolia" is Latin for "plane leaf". |
|
|
Salix planifolia (Plane-leaf Willow) Montane to sub-alpine.
Wetlands, openings. Summer. |
|
|
Salix planifolia (Plane-leaf Willow) Montane to sub-alpine.
Wetlands, openings. Summer. Willows are dioecious, i.e., male flowers (top photograph at left) appear on one shrub and female flowers (bottom photograph at left) on another. Each of the flower clusters (called the "catkin" or the "ament") is about 3/4 of an inch long for the males and about twice that for the females. The photograph of the male flowers shows the stamens topped by anther sacs; the photograph of the female flowers shows the numerous light green seed capsules with a thin red projection -- the style tipped with a sticky stigma |
|
|
Salix planifolia (Plane-leaf Willow) Montane to sub-alpine.
Wetlands, openings. Summer. Leaves are glabrous and dark green above and glabrous-to-lightly hairy and lighter green below. The shiny green upper surface often sets Salix planifolia apart from neighboring Willows. Click to see this distinctive difference. |
.
Range map © John Kartesz,
County Color Key
|
Range map for Salix planifolia |
Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state
Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Eradicated
Questionable presence
