1516

ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.

PART III.

glabrous. Styles scarcely so long as the notched stigmas. (Sal. IVob., p. 37.)A native of Switzerland, where it forms an upright-growing tree, much re-sembling S. vitellina, both in twigs and foliage. Catkins accompanying theleaves, or appearing immediately after their expansion in May and June,and nearly 2 in. long. According to Mr. Forbes, this species deserves cul-tivation for the sake of its twigs and rods, which are little, if at all, inferiorto those of S. vitellina for tying, and for the finer sorts of wickerwork,baskets, &c. There are plants in the Goldworth Arboretum, and also atWoburn Abbey and Flitwick House.

S 22. S. fra5.ij.is Xi. The brittl e-twigged, or Crack, Willow.

Identification Lin. Sp. PI., 1443.; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 669.; Smith Eng. Bot., 1.1807.; Eng. FI., 4.p. 1804.; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 27.; Hook. Br. FI., ed. 3., p.421.: Mackay FI. Hibern.. pt. 1.p. 246.

Syncnyme. S. fragilis, in part, Koch Comm ., p. 15.

The Sexes. Both sexes are figured in Eng. Bot. and Sal. Wob.

Engravings. Lin. FI. Lapp., No. 349. t. 8. f. b. ; Eng. Bot., 1.1807. i Sal. Wob., No. 27.: our fig. 1310.;fig. 27. in p. 1608.; and the plate of this tree in our last Volume.

Spec. Char., $ 0 . Leaves ovate-lanceolate, pointed, serrated throughout, veryglabrous. Footstalks glandular. Ovary ovate, abrupt, nearly sessile, gla-brous. Bracteas oblong, about equal to the stamens and pistils. Stigmas

i -sm.

cloven, longer than the style. (Smith E. F.) A native of Britain, andfrequent on the banks of rivers in marshy ground ; flowering in April andMay. A tall bushy-headed tree, sometimes found from 80 ft. to 90 ft. inheight, with the branches set on obliquely, somewhat crossing each other,not continued in a straight line outwards from the trunk; by which cha-racter, Sir J. E. Smith observes, it may readily be distinguished even inwinter. The branches are round, very smooth, “ and so brittle at the base,in spring, that with the slightest blow they start from the trunk.” Whencethe name of crack willow; though, according to Sir J. E. Smith, this “ismore or less the case with S. decipiens, and several other willows, bothnative and exotic.” Many medical properties were formerly attributed to