Salix geyeriana Andersson
Geyer's willow (Geyer willow)
Salicaceae (Willow family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Geyer's willow (Geyer willow)
Salicaceae (Willow family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Dioecious shrubs, 1-5 m tall, not colonial; branches erect, flexible at base, strongly glaucous or not; twigs yellowish to violet, smooth or hairy.
Leaves:
Alternate, simple, strap-shaped to narrowly elliptic, 3-7.5 cm long, 0.7-1.4 cm wide, lower surface glaucous, silky to nearly smooth, hairs white and rust-coloured, upper surface shiny, silky to nearly smooth, margins entire, bases and tips pointed; leaf stalks without glandular dots at top; stipules absent.
Flowers:
Unisexual, lacking sepals and petals, borne in catkins which flower as leaves emerge, or just before them, more or less globe-shaped, on leafy twigs; floral bracts pale, smooth or hairy, hairs wavy or straight; stamens 2; ovaries 1, hairy; styles 0.1-0.2 mm long.
Fruits:
Capsules which split open to release the seeds, each of which is surrounded by a tuft of hairs; stalks 1-2.8 mm long.
Notes:
Vegetative plants of this species are sometimes difficult to distinguish from S. petiolaris. The branches of S. geyeriana do not always show the characteristic glaucousness, especially on Vancouver Island and the branches of S. petiolaris are sometimes sparsely glaucous.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
USDA Species Characteristics
Flower Colour:
Yellow
Blooming Period:
Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present from Spring to Fall
Source: The USDA
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Salix geyeriana
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
| Site Information |
Value / Class |
||
|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
1031 | 540 | 1698 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
3 | 0 | 10 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
167 | 126 | 325 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
5 | 3 | 8 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
B | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
12 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
BWBS | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
BWBS(4), ESSF(2), ICH(1), IDF(1), MS(3), SBPS(1) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Wet to moist streamsides, lakeshores and sedge meadows in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; infrequent in S BC; S to NM, AZ and CA.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Salix geyeriana subsp. argentea (Bebb) E. Murray
Salix geyeriana subsp. meleina
Salix geyeriana var. argentea (Bebb) C.K. Schneid.
Salix geyeriana var. meleina J.K. Henry
Salix macrocarpa Nutt.
Salix macrocarpa var. argentea Bebb
Salix meleina (J.K. Henry) G.N. Jones