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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE WILLOW FAMILY | |||||||||
| The willows are widespread, especially in north temperate and subarctic regions of the world. The bark on the trunks may be smooth or rough and can vary in colour from white to brownish to gray. The leaves are simple and alternate. The male and female flowers are on separate plants. The flowers are in spike-like clusters called catkins. The flowers are very small and do not have sepals or petals. The male flowers consist of nectaries and stamens with a single bract below. The female flowers consist of nectaries, and a superior ovary with a single bract below. The fruit is a capsule that contains many small seeds, each of which has a tuft of long, white silky hairs. | |||||||||
| BLANKETLEAF WILLOW | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Salix silicicola | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Blanketleaf willow grows as tall as 3 m. The new twigs are permanently white-felty. The leaves are up to 6 cm long and 3.5 cm wide. The leaves are egg-shaped and are pale green to greyish above. Both the upper and the lower leaf surfaces are densely covered in white, woolly hairs. The leaf margins are slightly rolled under. The stipules are large and white-woolly. The catkins appear before the leaves and are between 7 and 12 cm long. The capsules are densely short-hairy. The bracts are long and black. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| In Saskatchewan, blanketleaf willow grows in active sand dunes and broad lake beaches. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This plant is found in northwestern Saskatchewan in the Athabasca Plain ecoregion. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Blanketleaf willow is vulnerable because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. This species is regionally restricted in the province but is usually locally numerous within limited areas. No immediate threats are known but may occur in the future. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY BLANKETLEAF WILLOW | |||||||||
| * Are the leaves densely white-woolly on both surfaces? * Are the branches white-felty? * Are the catkins large and appearing before the leaves? * Did you find it in northwestern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found blanketleaf willow! | |||||||||
