[=] Shrubs of lowland swamps; leaves narrowly lanceolate, 2–3´ long, taper-pointed, finely and evenly serrate; stipules linear or semi-cordate, deciduous; aments sessile or in fruit slightly peduncled; style very short.
9. S. serícea, Marsh. (Silky W.) Leaves at first (principally beneath) very silky, turning black in drying; aments narrowly cylindrical, the fertile densely flowered; capsule short-pedicelled, ovate-oblong, rather obtuse.—Common, but more prevalent from the region of the Great Lakes eastward.
10. S. petiolàris, Smith. Leaves only slightly silky when young, soon smooth, with less tendency to blacken in drying; fertile aments ovoid-cylindric, in fruit broad and loose from the lengthening of the pedicels; capsule rostrate from an ovate base, rather acute.—Var. grácilis, Anders., has extremely loose aments, and very long-pedicelled attenuate-rostrate capsules.—Common, but more prevalent from the Great Lakes westward. This species, like the preceding, hybridizes freely with S. cordata.
[=][=] Alpine shrub; leaves 1–2´ long, repand-crenate; stipules minute, fugacious; aments leafy-peduncled; style distinct.
11. S. argyrocárpa, Anders. Leaves tapering evenly to both ends, acute, or the earliest obovate and obtuse, at length rigid, the margin slightly revolute; petiole short; fruiting ament short (about 1´ long), loosely flowered; capsule tapering, densely silky-silvery; gland of the staminate flower variously doubled.—Moist alpine ravines in a few limited localities on or near Mt. Washington, N. H.; also in Lower Canada and Lab. A bushy branched shrub, erect or depressed at base, 1–2° high, growing in wide dense patches. A hybrid with n. 13 was detected by Mr. E. Faxon in Tuckerman's ravine (its leaves collected by Dr. Gray as early as 1842!), appearing like a large form of the species with the aments of S. phylicifolia.
[+][+] Pedicels twice the length of the gland; style elongated.
12. S. cándida, Willd. (Sage W. Hoary W.) Leaves lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 2–4´ long, taper-pointed or the lowest obtuse, rather rigid, downy above, becoming glabrate, beneath covered with a dense white tomentum, the revolute margin subentire; stipules lanceolate, about as long as the petioles; aments cylindrical, densely flowered, 2´ long in fruit; anthers red; the dark gland elongated; capsule densely white-woolly; style dark red; stigmas short, spreading, notched.—Cold bogs, N. Eng. and N. J. to Iowa, and northward.—A hoary shrub 2–5° high; young shoots white-woolly, the older red. Two beautiful hybrids, with n. 10 and n. 14, have been found near Flint, Mich. (Dr. Clarke).
13. S. phylicifòlia, L. Leaves lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate or elliptic, somewhat equally pointed or obtuse at both ends, remotely and minutely repand-toothed, 2–3´ long, very smooth on both sides, dark green and shining above, glaucous beneath, at length coriaceous; stipules obsolete; aments sessile with a few small bracts at base, 1´ long, rather densely flowered, oblong-cylindric, the fertile somewhat stipitate, becoming 2´ long in fruit; scales dark, silky-villous; capsule conic-rostrate from an ovoid base; stigmas bifid or entire, yellow drying black. (S. chlorophylla, of Man.; S. chlorophylla, var. denudata, Anders.)—Moist ravines on alpine summits of the White Mountains, and of Mt. Mansfield, Vt.—A divaricately much branched shrub 1–10° high; twigs glabrous, sometimes covered with a glaucous bloom. (Eu.)
S. viminàlis, L., the Osier Willow of Europe, is occasionally planted, but soon dies out. Some of its hybrids, as S. Smithiàna, Willd., etc., stand our climate better, but cannot be regarded as adventive.
[+][+][+] Capsules sessile; filaments and often the reddish anthers united so as to appear as one.