Salix sessilifolia
Encyclopedia
Salix sessilifolia is a species of willow
known by the common name northwest sandbar willow. It is native to the west coast of North America from British Columbia
to northern California
, where it grows on sandy and gravelly riverbanks, floodplain
s, and sandbars. It is a shrub
growing 3 to 5 meters in height, sometimes forming colonial thickets of clones by sprouting repeatedly from its root system. The leaves are up to 12 centimeters long, oval with pointed tips, edged with spiny teeth, and generally coated thinly in silky hairs. The inflorescence
is a catkin
of flowers, male catkins up to 4.5 centimeters long and female catkins longer and more slender.
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 northwest sandbar willow. It is native to the west coast of 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 northern 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...
, where it grows on sandy and gravelly riverbanks, 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, and sandbars. It is a shrub
Shrub
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 3 to 5 meters in height, sometimes forming colonial thickets of clones by sprouting repeatedly from its root system. The leaves are up to 12 centimeters long, oval with pointed tips, edged with spiny teeth, and generally coated thinly 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...
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 up to 4.5 centimeters long and female catkins longer and more slender.