Common name: Crack Willow
Salix x fragilis var. fragilis L. APNI* 
Description: Tree to 18 m high with 1–several trunks (single trunk trees found away from fast flowing flooded areas) forming an irregular, wide crown; bark pale grey-brown to dark brown, deeply fissured; twigs dark green-brown, erect, brittle at the point of attachment; buds pale-yellow becoming brown, sparsely silky, soon glabrous.
Leaves ovate to lanceolate, 8–17.5 cm long, 15–40 mm wide, dark green above and glaucous below, glabrescent, margin coarsely and irregularly glandular-toothed; stipules to 8 mm long; petiole 2–7 mm, pubescent or glabrous, with glands conspicuous at the top of the petiole.
Catkins terminal, appearing with leaves on short lateral shoots; male catkins 4–6 cm long, dense-flowered with pale yellow-green scales; female catkins uncommon, 5.5–8 cm long, scales falling early.
Capsules 4–5 mm long.
Distribution and occurrence: widespread and abundant; each piece that breaks off potentially able to form a new plant. Native of W Europe.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS
Other Australian states: *Vic. *Tas. *S.A.
Twigs and branch bases crack easily, hence the common name Crack Willow. Hybridises with S. alba var. vitellina (see S. x rubens) and S. babylonica.
Text by S.W.L. Jacobs & L. Murray (2000)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 1 Suppl. (2000)
| The single variety in NSW. Characters and distribution as for the species in NSW. |
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
|
