Salix nivalis Hook.
dwarf snow willow (snow willow)
Salicaceae (Willow family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
dwarf snow willow (snow 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 yellow- to red-brown, smooth or sparsely hairy.
Leaves:
Alternate, simple, elliptic to broadly elliptic, 6-22 mm long, 4-15 mm wide, lower surface glaucous, smooth, upper surface shiny, smooth, margins entire, bases pointed to rounded, tips pointed, rounded, or notched; 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 pale, smooth; stamens 2; ovaries 1, hairy; styles 0.2-0.4 mm long.
Fruits:
Capsules which split open to release the seeds, each of which is surrounded by a tuft of hairs; stalks 0-0.8 mm long.
Notes:
This species was previously treated as a subspecies of S. reticulata, but because the area of overlap between the two is small and evidence of intergradation between them is tenuous, it is now treated a separate species. The catkins are borne on flowering twigs that are as long as normal vegetative twigs.
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 nivalis
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) |
2131 | 1170 | 2680 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
23 | 0 | 235 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
257 | 0 | 360 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
2 | 0 | 8 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
C | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
390 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
AT | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
AT(114), BAFA(84), ESSF(103), ICH(1), IMA(58), MS(7), SBS(1) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Moist meadows, rocky slopes and fellfields in the alpine zone; common in S BC and E of the Coast-Cascade Mountains; E to AB and S to CO, UT, NV and CA.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Salix nivalis var. saximontana (Rydb.) Schneid.
Salix reticulata subsp. nivalis (Hook.) A. L÷ve & D. L÷ve & Kapoor
Salix reticulata var. nana (Hook.) Anderss.
Salix reticulata var. nivalis (Hook.) Anderss.
Salix reticulata var. saximontana (Rydb.) L. Kelso
Salix saximontana Rydb.
Salix venusta Anderss.
Salix vestita var. nana Hook.