Salix repens

Creeping Willow

Scientific name: Salix repens L.

Diagnostic features
Procumbent to erect shrub to 1.5(2)m, but usually less than1m.
Twigs glabrous to densely silky-pubescent and variously coloured.
Leaves 1-3.5 x 0.4-2.5cm, glabrous to pubescent or silvery-silky-pubescent on both sides, but usually ± pubescent on lowerside, entire to obscurely crenate-serrate.
Stamens free.

Chromosome number: 2n=38.

Habitat
Native; acid heaths and moors both dry and wet, fens, dunes and dune-slacks.

Distribution
In suitable places throughout British Isles. Extremely variable, especially in leaf-shape.

This species is keyed out on Page 1597 and on Page 1609 in the Text Key.

Varieties
The commonest variant (Salix repens L. var. repens) is rhizomatous, with procumbent to decumbent soon subglabrous stems and small leaves soon subglabrous on upperside; it occurs mostly on heaths and moors.
Salix repens L. var. argentea (Sm.) Wimm. & Grab. (Synonyms: Salix repens L. ssp. argentea (Sm.) E.G. & A. Camus, Salix repens L. ssp. arenaria (L.) Hiitonen, and Salix arenaria L.) occurs mostly in dune-slacks and differs in its taller, strong habit with silky-pubescent stems and larger leaves persistently densely silky-pubescent on both sides.
Salix repens L. var. fusca Wimm. & Grab. is shortly rhizomatous with ± erect stems but leaves as in var. repens, and occurs in fens in E Anglia. Numerous intermediates occur.

Hybrids
- Salix x doniana G. Anderson ex Sm. (= Salix purpurea x Salix repens) has been found in South Lancs and Mid Perth.
- Salix x angusensis Rech. f. (= Salix viminalis x Salix cinerea x Salix repens) occurs on sand-dunes in Angus and South & West Lancs; endemic.
- Salix x friesiana Andersson (= Salix viminalis x Salix repens) occurs in South Lancs, Westmorland and Sutherland.
- Salix x laschiana Zahn (= Salix caprea x Salix repens) occurs with the parents in Scotland.
- Salix x subsericea Döll (= Salix cinerea x Salix repens) occurs rather rarely with the parents in Central &North Britain and very rarely in South Britain.
- Salix x ambigua Ehrh. (= Salix aurita x Salix repens) occurs commonly throughout British Isles wherever the parents meet.
- Salix x grahamii Borrer ex Baker(= Salix aurita x Salix repens x Salix herbacea) has been found in W Sutherland and perhaps Central Scotland, and in West Donegal.
- Salix myrsinifolia x Salix phylicifolia x Salix repens has been found in South Aberdeen, E Perths and Angus and doubtfully elsewhere in Scotland; endemic. Original records were of Salix phylicifolia x Salix repens, but Salix x tetrapla rather than Salix phylicifolia occurs in the area.
- Salix x felina Buser ex E.G. & A. Camus (= Salix myrsinifolia x Salix repens) occurs with the parents in East Perth.
- Salix phylicifolia x Salix repens (= Salix x schraderiana auct. non Willd.) has been found in Orkney; endemic. Salix myrsinifolia does not occur there.
- Salix x pithoensis Rouy (= Salix repens x Salix lapponum) occurs with the parents in East & Mid Perth.
- Salix repens x Salix arbuscula was found in Mid Perth in 1994; endemic.
- Salix x cernua E.F. Linton (= Salix repens x Salix herbacea) occurs with the parents in Central & North Scotland.

Kingdom Plantae
Phylum Angiospermophyta
Class Magnoliopsida
Subclass Magnoliidae
Superorder Dilleniiflorae
Order Salicales
Family Salicaceae
Genus Salix
Section Vetrix
Species Salix repens

Salix repens L.

Creeping Willow (English)
Willow, Creeping [English]
Seileach Làir (Gaelic)
Saileach reatha (Irish)
Corhelygen (Welsh)

Salix repens var. repens

Salix repens var. argentea (Sm.) Wimm. & Grab.
Salix repens subsp. argentea (Sm.) E.G. & A. Camus
Salix repens subsp. arenaria (L.) Hiitonen
Salix arenaria L.

Salix repens var. fusca Wimm. & Grab.

Hybrids
Salix doniana(x) G. Anderson ex Sm. [Hybrid]
(= Salix purpurea x Salix repens)

Salix angusensis(x) Rech. f. [Hybrid]
(= Salix viminalis x Salix cinerea x Salix repens)

Salix friesiana(x) Andersson [Hybrid]
(= Salix viminalis x Salix repens)

Salix laschiana(x) Zahn [Hybrid]
(= Salix caprea x Salix repens)

Salix subsericea(x) Döll [Hybrid]
(= Salix cinerea x Salix repens)

Salix ambigua(x) Ehrh. [Hybrid]
(= Salix aurita x Salix repens)

Salix grahamii(x) Borrer ex Baker [Hybrid]
(= Salix aurita x Salix repens x Salix herbacea)

Salix tetrapla(x) Walker [Hybrid]
(= Salix myrsinifolia x Salix phylicifolia)
Salix tenuifolia(x) Sm. (syn.) [Hybrid]

Salix myrsinifolia x Salix phylicifolia x Salix repens [Hybrid]

Salix felina(x) Buser ex E.G. & A. Camus [Hybrid]
(= Salix myrsinifolia x Salix repens)

Salix phylicifolia x Salix repens [Hybrid]
Salix schraderiana(x) auct. non Willd. (syn.) [Hybrid]

Salix pithoensis(x) Rouy [Hybrid]
(= Salix repens x Salix lapponum)

Salix repens x Salix arbuscula [Hybrid]

Salix cernua(x) E.F. Linton [Hybrid]
(= Salix repens x Salix herbacea)

Meikle, R.D., 1984. Willows and Poplars of Great Britain and Ireland. BSBI Handbook No. 4. Botanical Society of the British Isles, London. Illustrated by Victoria Gordon.

Salix ambigua(x) a (Leafy branch with male and female catkins and flower details, (= S. repens x S. aurita) drawing by V. Gordon in Meikle, 1984; BSBI Handbook 4.)
Salix angusensis(x) a (Habit, female catkins and female flower,(= S.viminalis x S. cinerea x S. repens), drawing in Watsonia 23: 329)
Salix cernua(x) a (Leafy branch with male and female catkins and flower details, (= S. herbacea x S. repens) drawing by V. Gordon in Meikle, 1984; BSBI Handbook 4.)
Salix doniana(x) a (Leafy branch with male and female catkins and flower details, typical form (= S. repens x S. purpurea), drawing by V. Gordon in Meikle, 1984; BSBI Handbook 4.)
Salix doniana(x) b (Leafy branch with male and female catkins and flower details, Lancaster form (= S. repens x S. purpurea), drawing by V. Gordon in Meikle, 1984; BSBI Handbook 4.)
Salix friesiana(x) a (Leafy branch with male and female catkins and flower details, (= S. repens x S. viminalis) drawing by V. Gordon in Meikle, 1984; BSBI Handbook 4.)
Salix grahamii(x) a (Leafy branch with male and female catkins and flower details, (= S. herbacea x S. aurita x S. repens) drawing by V. Gordon in Meikle, 1984; BSBI Handbook 4.)
Salix repens 2 (Male catkins, picture taken in Wigtowns by C.A. Stace)
Salix repens 3 (Male flowers, picture taken in the Netherlands by R. van der Meijden)
Salix repens 4 (Female flowers, picture taken in the Netherlands, in slide collection of NHN-Leiden)
Salix repens a (Leafy branch with male and female catkins and flower details, drawing by V. Gordon in Meikle, 1984; BSBI Handbook 4.)
Salix repens argentea a (Leafy branch with male and female catkins and flower details, (var. argentea) drawing by V. Gordon in Meikle, 1984; BSBI Handbook 4.)
Salix repens b (Leaf, picture by C.A. Stace in Stace, 1997)
Salix subsericea(x) a (Leafy branch with male and female catkins and flower details, (= S. cinerea x S. repens) drawing by V. Gordon in Meikle, 1984; BSBI Handbook 4.)