WILLOW (AS, tell i , 0f uncertain (.1yinol ogy), Sa/i.r. A genus of plants of the natural order Sal i ea ce;e. The flowers are naked, the stamen,: from (me to five in iminher, till' loaves simple and deciduous. There are fully 100 .spe cies, but their precise number is not likely to he' 500111 deternlilled, as varieties are Very numerous and many hybrids are known to exist. They are nmstly natives of the colder temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, ;ilthough some are found in warm countries, as a I i.r Ic ra•sperma in the hottest parts of India. Most of them are shrubs, and some are of very humble growth, par ticularly those of Arctic and Alpine regions. Thus, Sali.e hcrbacea , which is common on the mountains of Scotland and farther north. seldom rises more than an inch from the ground. arc! ica and /ix polo ris are the most northern woody plants. Other small species are also found at the limits of perpetual snow in various countries. Some of those which more generally receive the popular name willow are trees of large size anti remarkably rapid growth. The wood of some of them, as the white willow o• Huntingdon willow ( Sal ix a lba) and the crack willow (,`"'u/i.c fmgitis), is used for many pile poses, being remarkably light and soft. but tough and durable, especially in damp situations. Cork cutters and others employ it for whetting, sharp edged implements. It is used for making pad dles of steamboats, because it wears better in water than any other kind of wood. W'illow's are often planted as ornamental trees, especially near streams and in moist grounds. Many kiwis are also planted on the banks of rivers to retain the soil in its place and restrain the encroach ment of the water. They are peculiarly adapted for this purpose, as they grow readily from cut tings. Willow stakes driven into a moist soil strike root, and soon become luxuriant.
The twigs of most of the willows are very tough and flexible, and are used by coopers for making hoops, and by gardeners for tying large plants.
They are 111111.11 used for basket-making and other kinds of wickerwork. (See UsIER.) trees are often treated as pollards and grown in copses. because they stand cutting remarkably well. and the stems are useful for many purposes, such as hoops, poles, fuel, etc. The leaves and young shoots are in some countries used as food for cattle, and even dried and stacked for that use. A fragrant water is distilled in Northern India from the catkins of the Egyptian or caliph willow (;:alix ayptiaea). The flowers of the in species appear before the leaves, are much sought after by bees. The male catkins of many species are very beautiful, the prominent anthers being yellow, or in ,8ali.e pnr purer: of a rich purple. The weeping willow Babylomica) is a very ornamental species. a native of the East, now much planted in Amer ica and on the Continent of Europe. on account of its beautiful pendant twigs. (See WEEPING TREE.) The so-called Napoleon's willow is a variety of it. The white willow or Huntingdon willow (Sa/is atigt) is far the largest species known in America. It grows with great rapidity to a height of 80 feet. Its head is much branched and spreading. its leaves narrow, elliptical-lance olate. silky beneath, and sometimes also above.
The popular name sallow is given to a number of species. among them the gray sallow (Salix cinema). the round leaved sallow (Salix Caprca), the round-eared sallow (Sali.r aurita), and the long-leaved sallow (,`::Et/ix grand/1'01a). These arc common British species. They are not as as the osier willows, but are used for hoops, implements, etc. At least half of the known species of willow occur in the United States. Among the best known are the black willow (SOLr plant), a tree 30 to 50 feet high. and No1i.r cordata and Sails lurida, shrubs or small trees along streams from New England west and north. along plate of FLOWERS.