Salix brachycarpa var. psammophila Raup
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TAXONOMY
 
Family: Salicaceae
Genus: Salix
 
Species Synonyms: none
Common Names: sand-loving willow
sand-loving short-capsuled willow
sand-dune short-capsuled willow
 
DISTRIBUTION
 
Canada: northwestern Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan: northwestern Saskatchewan; Lake Athabasca
Ecoregion: Athabasca Plain
 
HABITAT
 
Saskatchewan: active sand dunes
Associated Species: Baltic rush, bog birch, mountain alder, paper birch, water sedge
 
RARITY STATUS
 
Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):
Vulnerable
Nature Conservancy Status:
G5T2T3 N5T2T3 S T2T3
Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:
Vulnerable
COSEWIC Status:
Special Concern
 
Sand-loving willow is vulnerable because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan and is highly regionally restricted in the province. It is usually locally numerous within limited areas. No immediate threats are known but may occur in the future.
 
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
 
Height: usually 50 – 100 cm
Stems: low, upright, freely branching; branches slender or stout, reddish-brown, hairy, the outer layers of bark peeling; branchlets densely white or gray, long-hairy to woolly; internodes short resulting in a fan-like arrangement of leaves
Leaves: simple, alternate; leaf stalks short, reddish to yellowish; blades 2 – 3 cm long, 0.5 – 1.5 cm wide, egg-shaped to elliptic, base acute, tip obtuse to acute, densely gray-hairy below, less hairy above, becoming nearly hairless in age, margin entire; stipules minute lobes to 1 mm long
Inflorescence: catkins appearing at the same time as the leaves, on leafy stalks; female catkins 1 – 2 cm long, short-cylindrical to nearly round
Flowers: female flowers with densely white-woolly ovaries; male flowers with 2 stamens
Fruits: capsules crowded, 5 – 6 mm long, gray-woolly, sessile or short-stalked; bracts yellowish to light brown
 
SALIX KEY FOR SPECIES WITH GLABROUS OVARIES IN SASKATCHEWAN
* For a more accurate and in depth Salix key, the reader is referred to the interactive key created by Dr. G. Argus. This key is available through the Alaska Natural Heritage Program at the University of Alaska.
   
1 Bracts of catkins white, yellow, or golden brown
2
1 Bracts of catkins brown to reddish or black
12
 
2 Capsules sessile or nearly so, stalk less than 1 mm
3
2 Capsules definitely stalked, stalk more than 1 mm
8
 
3 Twigs golden, yellow, orange or yellowish-green (leaves green, dull)
4
3 Twigs greyish to yellowish-brown (leaves yellowish-green, semi-glossy)
6
 
4 Female catkins 1.5 – 8 cm long; dense ticket-forming shrubs; twigs light yellow to orange; capsules 4 – 8 mm long (leaves linear, sides parallel)
S. exigua ssp. interior
4 Female catkins 3 – 6 cm long; shrub or tree; twigs golden yellow to orange to greenish; capsule 3.5 – 5 mm long (leaves lance-shaped to oval)
5
 
5 Large tree; twigs golden yellow to orange
S. alba
5 Shrub 2 – 6 m tall; twigs yellowish-green
S. pentandra
 
6 Twigs shiny (leaves white-waxy below)
S. serissima
6 Twigs dull (leaves pale beneath)
7
 
7 Commonly less than 3 m tall, female catkins to 10 cm, capsules to 7 mm long, on stalks to 2 mm long
S. lucida ssp. lasiandra
7 To about 5 m tall, female catkins to 5 cm long, capsules < 7 mm long, on stalks ca. 1 mm long
S. lucida ssp. lucida
 
8 Female catkins 3 – 8 cm long; twigs drooping or arching
S. amygdaloides
8 Female catkins 1 – 4 cm long; twigs erect or ascending
9
 
9 Twigs shiny
S. serissima
9 Twigs dull
10
 
10 Slender shrub, 40 – 100 cm tall; bracts persistent; sphagnum bogs and swamps (leaves green above, white-waxy below; stipules absent)
S. pedicillaris
10 Shrub or small tree to 4 m tall; bracts falling off early; swamps, shores and wet meadows (leaves yellowish-green above, may be white or bluish waxy below; stipules present)
11
 
11 Commonly less than 3 m tall, female catkins to 10 cm, capsules to 7 mm long, on stalks to 2 mm long
S. lucida ssp. lasiandra
11 To about 5 m tall, female catkins to 5 cm long, capsules < 7 mm long, on stalks ca. 1 mm long
S. lucida ssp. lucida
 
12 Low, decumbent or trailing shrubs, < 1 m tall
S. myrtilloides
12 Shrubs 1 – 10 m tall
13
 
13 Twigs closely gray-hairy; shrub to 7 m tall
S. eriocephala var. famelica
13 Twigs hairless; generally to 4 m tall
14
 
14 Buds with a balsamic fragrance
S. pyrifolia
14 Buds not fragrant
15
 
15 Female catkins sessile or subsessile (leaves white or bluish waxy below)
16
15 Female catkins on leafy stalks (leaves not white or bluish waxy below)
S. pseudomyrsinites
 
16 Female catkins 1 – 3 cm long (leaves short tapered)
S. turnorii
16 Female catkins 3 – 7 cm long (leaves acute to obtuse)
S. pseudomonticola
   
SALIX KEY FOR SPECIES WITH PUBESCENT OVARIES IN SASKATCHEWAN
   
1 Shrubs trailing or very small (< 10 cm tall above ground)
2
1 Shrubs erect, taller than 10 cm
3
 
2 Female catkin scales black; capsules 6 – 9 mm long; stems trailing
S. arctophila
2 Female catkin scales reddish to yellowish; capsules 4 – 5 mm long; stems mostly buried
S. reticulata ssp. reticulata
 
3 New twigs permanently white felty-woolly; Lake Athabasca only (leaves nearly white, oval to lance-shaped)
S. silicola
3 New twigs hairless or otherwise hairy; distribution various (leaves generally green, at least above)
4
 
4 Branches gray-brown, exfoliating; shrubs 30 – 200 cm tall; Lake Athabasca
S. athabascensis
4 Branches various colours, not exfoliating; shrubs 30 cm to 4 m tall
5
 
5 Female catkin bracts dark brown to black
6
5 Female catkin bracts yellow to brown
13
 
6 Bark dark brown; catkins nearly round; shrub 2 – 3 m tall; Lake Athabasca
S. tyrellii
6 Bark reddish, greyish, dark brown to yellowish-brown; catkins generally longer than wide; distribution various
7
 
7 Female catkins sessile or nearly so
8
7 Female catkins on leafy stalks
10
 
8 Female catkin scales black
9
8 Female catkin scales dark brown
S. arbusculoides
 
9 Bark brown; capsules 4 – 6 mm long; shrubs 3 – 5 m tall; boreal forest
S. pellita
9 Bark greyish; capsules 5 – 10 mm long; shrubs 1 – 5 m tall; widespread in Saskatchewan, prairies, aspen woods and mixed woods
S. discolor
 
10 Branches dark brown to yellow-brown
S. scouleri
10 Branches dark brown to reddish-brown
11
 
11 Capsules purplish-tinged; northwest Saskatchewan
S. x brachypurpurea
11 Capsules not purplish; distribution various
12
 
12 Female catkins 1 – 3 cm long (leaves 5 – 10 cm long, margins glandular-saw-toothed on later leaves)
S. petiolaris
12 Female catkins 2 – 6 cm long (leaves 3 – 5 cm long, margins slightly rolled, sub-entire to remotely toothed)
S. planifolia
 
13 Capsules 8 – 10 mm long, long-hairy to gray-woolly (leaves green below, with red and white matted hairs that are soon lost)
S. macalliana
13 Capsules < 8 mm long, hairs various (leaves various)
14
 
14 Shrubs < 1.5 m tall
15
14 Shrubs or small trees to 4 m tall
17
 
15 Capsules white-woolly; styles red
S. candida
15 Capsules woolly to long-hairy; styles green
 
16 Female catkins 1 – 2 long; bark grey to reddish; branches long-hairy (leaves narrowly elliptic to egg-shaped, greyish-white hairs on both sides; see leaf key for varieties)
S. brachycarpa
16 Female catkins 2 – 5 cm long; bark dull grey; branches gray woolly (leaves egg-shaped to elliptic, dark green, hairless to short-hairy above, with a waxy bloom below)
S. glauca ssp. glabrescens
 
17 Capsules 5 – 8 mm; female catkins 2 – 5 cm long; bark reddish (leaves 2 – 6 cm long)
S. bebbiana
17 Capsules 3 – 6 mm long; female catkins 3.5 – 11 cm long; bark dark reddish-brown to blackish, waxy bloom often prominent (leaves 4.5 – 11 cm long)
S. drummondiana
   
SALIX KEY BY LEAVES IN SASKATCHEWAN  
   
1 Leaves green below
2
1 Leaves with a white or bluish waxy bloom below
15
 
2 Leaves linear, the sides parallel
S. exigua ssp. interior
2 Leaves narrowly elliptic to broadly oval or egg-shaped
3
 
3 Leaves densely hairy beneath
4
3 Leaves hairless or only sparsely hairy beneath
7
 
4 Length to width ratio of leaves 2:1 or 3:1; trees or tall shrubs 2 – 7 m tall; leaves densely long-hairy to silky-hairy below; margin entire to rolled
S. scouleriana
4 Length to width ratio of leaves 6:1; shrubs to 5 m tall; leaves silky-hairy or woolly below; margin entire to shallowly toothed, may be rolled
5
 
5 Shrubs less than 3 m tall; leaves narrowly elliptic to egg-shaped, silky or woolly below, hairy above
S. pellita
5 Shrubs 3 – 5 m tall; leaves narrowly lance-shaped, densely silky or woolly below, hairless above
6
 
6 Leaves narrowly elliptic, margin entire to shallowly toothed; upper surface dark green, sometimes turning dark brown, thinly woolly; shrubs 30 – 150 cm (catkins sessile)
S. candida
6 Leaves narrowly elliptic to distantly glandular or round-toothed-glandular, upper surface dark green, sparsely long-hairy to hairless; shrubs 1 – 3
S. drummondiana
 
7 Leaf margins entire; leaves and stems persistently white felty; Lake Athabasca
S. silicola
7 Leaf margins entire to toothed; leaves and stems various but not persistently white felty; distribution various
8
 
8 Leaf stalks glandular at leaf base; leaves oval to elliptic, glossy above, margins glandular-saw-toothed
9
8 Leaf stalks not glandular; leaves elliptic to egg-shaped, not glossy above, margins glandular-saw-toothed to round-toothed
10
 
9 Leaf base round, green above, apex abruptly tapered
S. lucida ssp. caudata
9 Leaf base obtuse, very dark green above, apex tapered
S. pentandra
 
10 Low shrubs (< 1 m tall), usually creeping or trailing
S. myrtillifolia
10 Shrubs usually over 2 m tall, erect
11
 
11 Leaves leathery, matted with white and reddish hairs that soon fall off
S. macalliana
11 Leaves thin, hairs various
12
 
12 Leaves lance-shaped 3 – 8 cm long, margin saw-toothed
S. eriocephala var. famelica
12 Leaves elliptic to egg-shaped, 2 – 9 cm long, margin saw-toothed to glandular or round-toothed
13
 
13 Leaves 5 – 9 cm long; branchlets highly glossy
S. serissima
13 Leaves 2 – 5 cm long; branchlets sparsely hairy or dull
14
 
14 Young leaves reddish, sparsely long-hairy; northern Saskatchewan
S. pseudomyrsinites
14 Young leaves green, sparsely covered in reddish hairs; Lake Athabasca
S. tyrellii
 
15 Dwarf shrubs, trailing or erect, < 10 cm tall
16
15 Shrubs or trees, > 30 cm tall to 10 m
17
 
16 Shrub trailing along the ground; upper leaf surface smooth
S. arctophila
16 Shrub erect, very small, mostly below ground; upper leaf surface impressed veiny
S. reticulata ssp. reticulata
 
17 Leaf margins entire or indistinctly toothed, may be rolled
18
17 Leaf margins distinctly toothed
29
 
18 Mature leaves densely hairy below
19
18 Mature leaves hairless to short-hairy or sparsely hairy
22
 
19 Upper leaf surface glossy and dark green; stem exfoliating
S. glauca ssp. glabrescens
19 Upper leaf surface dull or hairy; stem not exfoliating
20
 
20 Leaf stalk green; shrubs or trees to 5 m tall; branching in pairs; leaves not appearing in fan-shaped arrangements
S. bebbiana
20 Leaf stalk reddish to yellowish; shrubs 0.3 – 1.5 m tall; branching not in pairs; leaves appearing in a fan-shaped arrangement because of short internodes
21
 
21 From sand dunes of Lake Athabasca
S. brachycarpa var. psammophilus
21 Distributed in northern Canada in meadows, thickets and fens
S. brachycarpa var. brachycarpa
 
22 Shrubs 30 – 100 cm tall; branches gray-brown, exfoliating; Lake Athabasca
S. athabascensis
22 Shrubs usually over 1 m tall (except S. glauca var. glabrescens); branches reddish to gray; distribution various
23
 
23 Leaves 5 – 10 cm long
24
23 Leaves less than 6 cm long
25
 
24 Leaf length to width ratio 3:1
S. discolor
24 Leaf length to width ratio 6:1
S. petiolaris
 
25 Tall shrubs or trees, 2 – 10 m tall
S. discolor
25 Low shrubs, 20 – 400 cm tall
26
 
26 Leaves glossy and dark green above
S. glauca ssp. glabrescens
26 Leaves dull above or glossy with sunken veins
27
 
27 Leaves wrinkly below
S. bebbiana
27 Leaves veiny or not, but not wrinkly below
 
28 Leaves elliptic to egg-shaped, thinly white or bluish waxy above, leaf length to width ratio 4:1
S. pedicillaris
28 Leaves elliptic, glossy with sunken veins, leaf length to width ratio 3:1
S. planifolia
 
29 Leaves thin and aromatic when crushed
S. pyrifolia
29 Leaves not aromatic
30
 
30 Margins round-toothed or wavy
31
30 Margins saw-toothed, may be glandular
32
 
31 Branches dark brown to yellowish, becoming hairless; shrubs 2 – 11 m tall
S. discolor
31 Branches reddish-brown, hairy, may become hairless; shrubs 0.5 – 5 m tall
S. bebbiana
 
32 Leaves hairy below
33
32 Leaves hairless below
35
 
33 Leaf length to width ratio 6:1
34
33 Leaf length to width ratio 3:1
S. planifolia
 
34 Trees to 20 m tall; leaves with appressed white silky hairs above and below
S. alba
34 Shrubs 1 – 4 m tall; leaves glossy and hairless above, silky hairy below
S. arbusculoides
 
35 Leaf stalks glandular at leaf base
36
35 Leaf stalks glandless at leaf base
38
 
36 Stipules minute, glandular lobes; flowering in late summer
S. serissima
36 Stipules leaf-like, semi-oval; flowering in early summer
37
 
37 Commonly less than 3 m tall, mature leaves abruptly tapered to a tail-like appendage (female catkins to 10 cm, capsules to 7 mm long, on stalks to 2 mm long)
S. lucida ssp. lasiandra
37 To about 5 m tall, mature leaves caudate abruptly tapered to short tapered (female catkins to 5 cm long, capsules < 7 mm long, on stalks ca. 1 mm long)
S. lucida ssp. lucida
 
38 Stipules persistent, conspicuous, oval
39
38 Stipules deciduous or inconspicuous or linear
40
 
39 To 7 m tall, branchlets reddish-brown, gray hairy, young leaves green
S. eriocephala var. famelica
39 To 4 m tall; branchlets yellowish to reddish, hairless to long-hairy, young leaves reddish
S. pseudomonticola
 
40 Leaf tip abruptly tapering to a slender tip
S. amygdaloides
40 Leaf tip long to short tapered
41
 
41 Leaf base tapered
S. petiolaris
41 Leaf base rounded; Lake Athabasca
42
 
42 New leaves white woolly, becoming greyish long-hairy, then hairless; leaves lance-shaped (female catkins on leafy shoots
S. x brachypurpurea
42 New leaves hairless; leaves lance-shaped to elliptic (female catkins subsessile)
S. turnorii