Salix cascadensis Cockerell
Cascade willow
Salicaceae (Willow family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Cascade willow
Salicaceae (Willow family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Dwarf shrubs, 1-4 cm tall, forming rhizomatous mats; branches erect, flexible at base; twigs yellowish, smooth.
Leaves:
Alternate, simple, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, 9-26 mm long, 3.8-7.5 mm wide, lower surface glaucous, smooth or sparsely long soft-hairy, hairs white, upper surface shiny, smooth or sparsely long soft-hairy, 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, the catkins stout, on leafy twigs; floral bracts dark, hairs wavy or straight; stamens 2; ovaries 1, smooth or hairy; styles 0.3-1 mm long.
Fruits:
Capsules which split open to release the seeds, each of which is surrounded by a tuft of hairs; stalks 0-0.6 mm long.
Notes:
A phase of this species with smooth ovaries has been named var. thompsonii Brayshaw.
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
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Salix cascadensis
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) |
2185 | 1143 | 2320 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
18 | 0 | 65 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
6 | 0 | 360 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
2 | 0 | 7 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
C | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
50 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
AT | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
AT(33), ESSF(11), IMA(5), SBS(1) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Mesic to dry rocky slopes, ridges, fellfields and meadows in the high subalpine and alpine zones; infrequent in SC BC; S to CO, UT, ID and WA.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Salix brownii var. tenera (Anderss.) M.E. Jones
Salix cascadensis var. thompsonii Brayshaw
Salix tenera Anderss.