Salix drummondiana
Encyclopedia
Salix drummondiana is a species of willow
known by the common name Drummond's willow. It is native to western North America from Yukon
and the Northwest Territories
in the north to California
and New Mexico
in the south. It is a resident of moist mountain habitat, including forests, riverbanks, and floodplain
s.
growing one to five meters tall. Its brittle branches are hairless to velvety when new, becoming waxy and shiny with age. The leaves are lance-shaped to oval and pointed, with smooth or rippled edges that roll under slightly. The leaves are up to 8.5 centimeters long and are woolly on the undersides and hairless to lightly hairy on the top surfaces. New leaves are coated in silky hairs.
The inflorescence
s are produced before the leaves. Each is a catkin
of flowers. Male catkins are 2 to 4 centimeters long, and female catkins can be almost 9 centimeters in length, lengthening further as the fruits develop. This willow primarily reproduces sexually
, by seed, but it can also reproduce vegetatively
from stem fragments; this often happens when the shrub is broken up by a flood
and pieces of the stem are washed away and deposited in a new area.
This willow is an important winter food for moose
in many areas, and beavers use it for food and to build their dams
.
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
known by the common name Drummond's willow. It is native to western North America from Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
and the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
in the north to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
in the south. It is a resident of moist mountain habitat, including forests, riverbanks, and floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
s.
Description
Salix drummondiana is a shrubShrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
growing one to five meters tall. Its brittle branches are hairless to velvety when new, becoming waxy and shiny with age. The leaves are lance-shaped to oval and pointed, with smooth or rippled edges that roll under slightly. The leaves are up to 8.5 centimeters long and are woolly on the undersides and hairless to lightly hairy on the top surfaces. New leaves are coated in silky hairs.
The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s are produced before the leaves. Each is a catkin
Catkin
A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster, with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated but sometimes insect pollinated . They contain many, usually unisexual flowers, arranged closely along a central stem which is often drooping...
of flowers. Male catkins are 2 to 4 centimeters long, and female catkins can be almost 9 centimeters in length, lengthening further as the fruits develop. This willow primarily reproduces sexually
Sexual reproduction
Sexual reproduction is the creation of a new organism by combining the genetic material of two organisms. There are two main processes during sexual reproduction; they are: meiosis, involving the halving of the number of chromosomes; and fertilization, involving the fusion of two gametes and the...
, by seed, but it can also reproduce vegetatively
Vegetative reproduction
Vegetative reproduction is a form of asexual reproduction in plants. It is a process by which new individuals arise without production of seeds or spores...
from stem fragments; this often happens when the shrub is broken up by a flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
and pieces of the stem are washed away and deposited in a new area.
This willow is an important winter food for moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
in many areas, and beavers use it for food and to build their dams
Beaver dam
Beaver dams are dams built by beavers as protection against predators such as coyotes, wolves, and bears, and to provide easy access to food during winter. Beavers work at night and are prolific builders, carrying mud and stones with their fore-paws and timber between their teeth...
.