General:
Dioecious shrubs, 3-5 m tall, forming colonies by root shoots; branches erect, flexible at base; twigs red-brown, densely hairy.

Leaves:
Alternate, simple, linear to narrowly elliptic or narrowly lance-shaped, 4-12 cm long, 0.8-1.4 cm wide, lower surface not glaucous, silky or long soft-hairy, hairs white, upper surface dull, silky or long soft-hairy, margins remotely and minutely spiny-toothed, bases wedge-shaped to rounded, tips tapered; leaf stalks without glandular dots at top; stipules rudimentary or leaflike.

Flowers:
Unisexual, lacking sepals and petals, borne in catkins which flower as leaves emerge or throughout season, the catkins slender, on leafy twigs; floral bracts pale or dark, hairs wavy, female bracts deciduous; 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 0.2-0.7 mm long.

Notes:
This species is distinguished from S. melanopsis by its long, slender stigmas (0.4-1 versus 0.2-0.5 mm long) and densely silky leaves.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

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

Flower Colour:
White

Blooming Period:
Early Summer

Source:  The USDA

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Salix exigua var. sessilifolia (Nutt.) Dorn
Salix fluviatilis Nutt.
Salix fluviatilis var. sessilifolia (Nutt.) Scoggan
Salix longifolia var. sessilifolia (Nutt.) M.E. Jones
Salix macrostachya Nutt.
Salix macrostachya var. cusickii Rowlee
Salix sessilifolia var. sessilifolia
Salix sessilifolia var. villosa Andersson