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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. | |||||||||
| TURNOR’S WILLOW | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Salix turnorii | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Turnor’s willow grows as tall as 4 m. The stems are strongly purplish-tinged, especially on the new shoots. The leaves lance-shaped and have a waxy bloom below. The catkins appear with or slightly before the leaves. The capsules are hairless and are pale green to reddish in colour. The bracts are small and brown. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Turnor’s willow grows in active sand dunes and broad lake beaches. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This plant is only found in northwestern Saskatchewan in the Athabasca Plain ecoregion. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Turnor’s willow is threatened because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. It is regionally restricted in the province but is usually locally numerous. No immediate threats are known but may occur in the future. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY TURNOR’S WILLOW | |||||||||
| * Are the leaf stalks, capsules, and branches purplish? * Are the capsules hairless? * Are the bracts small and brown? * Did you find it in northwestern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found Turnor’s willow! | |||||||||
