Salix arbuscula

Mountain Willow

Scientific name: Salix arbuscula L.

Diagnostic features
Low shrub to 80cm.
Twigs sparsely pubescent at first, soon glabrous, reddish-brown, ± glossy.
Leaves 1.5-3(5) x 1-1.5(3)cm, glabrous on upperside, densely appressed-pubescent on lowerside at first, becoming ± glabrous, crenate-serrate.
Stamens free.

Chromosome number: (2n=38).

Habitat
Native; damp rocky slopes and mountain ledges.

Distribution
Locally abundant on mountains in Central (formerly South) Scotland.

This species is keyed out on Page 1601 in the Text Key.

Hybrids
- Salix x pseudospuria Rouy (= Salix lapponum x Salix arbuscula) occurs with the parents in Centraleast Scotland.
- Salix repens x Salix arbuscula was found in Mid Perth in 1994; endemic.
- Salix myrsinifolia x Salix phylicifolia x Salix arbuscula (= Salix x arbusculoides Druce nom. nud.) has been found in Mid Perth; endemic.
- Salix myrsinifolia x Salix arbuscula (= Salix x breadalbanensis Druce nom. nud.) is known from Mid Perth.
- Salix x simulatrix F.B. White (= Salix arbuscula x Salix herbacea) occurs with the parents in Mid Perth.
- Salix x ganderi Huter ex Zahn (= Salix arbuscula x Salix reticulata) was once found in 1938 with the parents in Mid Perth.

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

Salix arbuscula L.

Mountain Willow (English)
Willow, Mountain [English]
Seileach an t-Slèibhe (Gaelic)
Helygen Fach y Mynydd (Welsh)

Hybrids
Salix myrsinifolia x Salix phylicifolia x Salix arbuscula [Hybrid]
Salix arbusculoides(x) Druce nom. nud. (syn.) [Hybrid]

Salix myrsinifolia x Salix arbuscula [Hybrid]
Salix breadalbanensis(x) Druce nom. nud. (syn.) [Hybrid]

Salix repens x Salix arbuscula [Hybrid]

Salix pseudospuria(x) Rouy [Hybrid]
(= Salix lapponum x Salix arbuscula)

Salix simulatrix(x) F.B. White [Hybrid]
(= Salix arbuscula x Salix herbacea)

Salix ganderi(x) Huter ex Zahn [Hybrid]
(= Salix arbuscula x Salix reticulata)

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 arbuscula 2 (Flowering habit, male and female, picture taken in M Perth by L.J. Smith)
Salix arbuscula 3 (Fruiting habit, picture taken in Norway by H.J.B. Birks)
Salix arbuscula a (Leafy branch with male and female catkins and flower details, drawing by V. Gordon in Meikle, 1984; BSBI Handbook 4.)
Salix arbuscula b (Leaf, picture by C.A. Stace in Stace, 1997)