SALICACEAE
NB Salicaceae now also includes parts of other families such as Flacourtiaceae and Scyphostegiaceae. This Plant Portrait is for Salicaceae s.s.
Morphological description
Shrubs or trees.
Leaves
Leaves simple, spiral, dentate, stipules small or absent.
Inflorescence
Inflorescence: catkins.
Flowers
Flowers unisexual (plants dioecious), in catkins, perianth absent, ovary superior, 1-locular, ovules several, basal.
Fruit
Fruit a capsule, seeds embedded in hairs.
Seed
Seed embedded in hairs.
Different from: Fagaceae: fruit cupular.
Distribution: A northern hemisphere family. In Malesia only Salix with two species, of which only S. tetrasperma truly wild.
Notes: Often found along streams; also planted on dykes and as a fence.
Literature: Jacobs, Fl. Males. I, 5 (1954) 107-110.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): 103.
Illustrations: Fig. 148. Salix tetrasperma Roxb.: a & b. habit; c. female inflorescence; d. female flower; e. male flower; f. fruit; g. gall; h. leaf; i. leaf of S. babylonica L.
Image in PhytoImages for Salicaceae