Salix lemmonii
Encyclopedia
Salix lemmonii is a species of willow
known by the common name Lemmon's willow. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
to California
to Colorado
, where it grows in moist and wet areas in mountain coniferous forest habitat, such as streambanks and meadows.
growing 1 to 4 meters tall, sometimes forming colonial thickets. Its stems arise in a cluster and spread into many slender, angular branches. The leaves are up to 11 centimeters long, lance-shaped to oval with pointed tips, smooth or lightly serrated along the edges, and hairless and waxy or slightly hairy. The inflorescence
is a stout catkin
of flowers a few centimeters long, the female catkins lengthening to 6 or 7 centimeters as the fruits develop. This willow sometimes hybridizes with Salix geyeriana
, to which it is closely related.
This shrub is commonly used in revegetation
projects in its native range, where it is useful for stabilizing eroded
riparian
habitat.
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 Lemmon's willow. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
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...
to Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, where it grows in moist and wet areas in mountain coniferous forest habitat, such as streambanks and meadows.
Description
Salix lemmonii 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 1 to 4 meters tall, sometimes forming colonial thickets. Its stems arise in a cluster and spread into many slender, angular branches. The leaves are up to 11 centimeters long, lance-shaped to oval with pointed tips, smooth or lightly serrated along the edges, and hairless and waxy or slightly hairy. 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...
is a stout 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 a few centimeters long, the female catkins lengthening to 6 or 7 centimeters as the fruits develop. This willow sometimes hybridizes with Salix geyeriana
Salix geyeriana
Salix geyeriana is a species of willow known by the common names Geyer's willow, Geyer willow and silver willow. The type specimen was collected by the botanist Karl Andreas Geyer, for whom it was named...
, to which it is closely related.
This shrub is commonly used in revegetation
Revegetation
Revegetation is the process of replanting and rebuilding the soil of disturbed land. This may be a natural process produced by plant colonization and succession, or an artificial , accelerated process designed to repair damage to a landscape due to wildfire, mining, flood, or other cause...
projects in its native range, where it is useful for stabilizing eroded
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
riparian
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
habitat.