chap. cm.
SALICA'cEjE. .va't.ix.
1489
Plantunmi of Linnaeus, and the Species Plantarum of Willdenow , have thesynonymes of other authors added to them.
In our App. iii. to the genus tfalix will be found the characters of Koch’s10 different groups; and under each the names and synonymes of the specieswhich he has assigned to them.
From the perusal of Koch’s observations, two points, we think, will be ren-dered clear to the botanical reader : — 1. That the mode of arranging thesections according to the character of the leaves, adopted by all the Linnaeanschool previously to the time of Wahlenberg, is altogether defective; and,2. That the system of throwing the species into natural groups, as adopted byWahlenberg, Fries, Koch, and Borrer , is the true one. Being ourselves ofthis opinion, the only question that remained for us to decide was, whetherwe should follow Koch or Borrer in the arrangement of the species describedin this work as in a living state in British gardens.
The excellence of Koch’s system was strongly impressed on our mindfrom the moment that we saw it developed in Dr. Llndley’s Synopsis of theBritish Flora; and, if we could have classed all the numerous sorts of willowsin the salictum at Woburn, and in the Hackney arboretum, under Koch’s tengroups, in a manner satisfactory to ourselves, we should hav.e done so; themore especially as, from observing with care all the different sorts in theHackney arboretum, at different periods, from March to December, 1836, wefelt convinced in our own mind that by far the greater number of them werevarieties, and chiefly of S. eaprea L. Not being able to do this, we determinedon endeavouring to obtain the advice and assistance of the first authority inBritain on the subject of willows; and we accordingly applied to Mr. Borrer,who at once, in the most kind and liberal manner, classed the sorts contained in theSalictum Woburnense in the 22 groups into which, with the exception of a fewsorts, they are thrown in the following article. Mr. Borrer ’s knowledgeof this genus is universally known. He possesses an extensive collection ofliving plants, which he has cultivated for some years; and, as Sir W. J. Hookerremarks, “ No one has ever studied the willows, whether in a growing or adried state, more deeply, or with a less prejudiced mind.” (Brit. FI., ed. 3.,vol. i. p. 416.)
The botanical details which we have given of each particular species, in-cluding a comparison of specimens obtained in a living state from the arbo-retum at Flitwick, from that at Goldworth , and from the salictum at Messrs.Loddiges’s,were made out for us, with great care and industry, by Mr. Denson.Our figures were chiefly drawn for us by Mr. Sowerby, from specimens receivedfrom the salictum at Woburn Abbey ; in the single instance of the S. eaprea,reduced from Host’s work; and nearly all the remainder, including all the 28^ eaves the natural size, by the kind permission of the Duke ofedford, have been copied from the Salictum Woburnense.
It will thus appear that our article, lengthy and elaborate as it is, is, in aotanical point of view, chiefly to be considered as matter for a history ofwillows, rather than as a complete history in itself. Such a history, indeed,can only be prepared by a botanist who has had all the species in a living stateOder his eye for several years; and who has applied to them one generalPrinciple of contrast or comparison. Till this is done, not only with the genusd vf e . ver y other genus of which there are numerous species, a
the ™ .^perfection must ever be found in works like the present, in whichfer S ? e - CI j. c characters are necessarily made up of descriptions given by dif-livin' i*™* ua * s > at different times, and in different countries; some fromgrow* - nts collected from their native habitats, others from living plantsadvant !n ^ ai u enS ’ anc * man y fr° m dried specimens. All this shows the greatarb nta ^ G - at w ould result to botany and arboriculture from a nationallectp ? T’ ' n w ^' c h not only a U the species and varieties should be col-dower* ° Ut a- S0 t ^ le sexes the kinds that have the male and female
a nd nr °iifferent plants. Such an arboretum, on a sufficiently large scale,botoni °P er 7 managed, would form a living standard of reference, both for thetamst and the cultivator.
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