Salix petiolaris Sm.
meadow willow
Salicaceae (Willow family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
meadow willow
Salicaceae (Willow family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Dioecious shrubs, 1-6 m tall, not colonial; branches erect, flexible at base; twigs yellowish, sparsely to moderately hairy.
Leaves:
Alternate, simple, strap-shaped or very narrowly elliptic, 4-11 cm long, 0.6-2 cm wide, lower surface glaucous, silky to nearly smooth, hairs white and rust-coloured, upper surface dull or shiny, smooth or hairy, margins entire to toothed, bases and tips pointed; leaf stalks without glandular dots at top; stipules absent or rudimentary.
Flowers:
Unisexual, lacking sepals and petals, borne in catkins which flower as leaves emerge or just before them, the catkins stout, unstalked or on leafy twigs; floral bracts dark, hairs straight; stamens 2; ovaries 1, hairy; styles 0-0.3 mm long.
Fruits:
Capsules which split open to release the seeds, each of which is surrounded by a tuft of hairs; stalks 1.5-4 mm long.
Notes:
Entire-leaved forms of this species are sometimes difficult to separate from S. geyeriana. See the latter species for comments.
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 petiolaris
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) |
933 | 630 | 1350 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
8 | 0 | 30 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
120 | 70 | 164 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
5 | 3 | 7 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
D | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
8 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
BWBS | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
BWBS(7), ESSF(1) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Wet thickets in the lower montane zone; rare in N BC; N to S NT, E to NB and S to NJ, MO, CO and WA.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Salix subsericea (Anderss.) Schneid.
Salix ×subsericea (Andersson) C.K. Schneid.
Salix subsericea (Andersson) C.K. Schneid.
Salix gracilis Andersson
Salix gracilis var. rosmarinoides Andersson
Salix gracilis var. textoris Fernald
Salix neoforbesii Toepffer
Salix petiolaris var. angustifolia Andersson
Salix petiolaris var. gracilis (Andersson) Andersson
Salix petiolaris var. rosmarinoides (Andersson) C.K. Schneid.
Salix petiolaris var. subsericea Andersson
Salix sericea var. subsericea (Andersson) Rydb.