Salix alba L. APNI* 
Description: Tree with globose crown to 20 m high; sometimes with several stems diverging from ground level; bark grey-brown and deeply fissured; twigs at first densely silky; often becoming glabrous; not fragile; buds dark-brown, pointed, pubescent.
Leaves lanceolate, 5–12 cm long, 5–15 mm wide, sericeous or becoming glabrescent on the upper surface, under surface grey or glaucescent; margins regularly toothed.
Catkins terminal, elongate-cylindrical, appearing with leaves on short leafy shoots; male catkins many-flowered, 3–9 cm long; female catkins smaller than male, 3–6 cm long.
Capsule c. 4 mm long.
Distribution and occurrence: native of Europe, introduced to N. America, N. Africa, N. & W. Asia.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *CT, *ST, *CWS, *SWS
Other Australian states: *Vic. *Tas. *S.A.
S. alba var. caerulea (Sm.) Sm. (Cricket-bat Willow) is cultivated in the Southern Tablelands and has more persistent white hairs on the larger and broader leaves (10–11 cm long, 15–20 mm wide) than the below varieties.
Text by S.W.L. Jacobs & L. Murray (2000)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 1 Suppl. (2000)
| | Key to the varieties | |
| 1 | Twigs brown or olive-green; leaves persistently silky above. | var. alba |
| Twigs yellow or orange (especially conspicuous in winter months); leaves becoming glabrescent. | var. vitellina |
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.
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