Al Schneider's Rocky Mountains Plant Descriptions

Drummond's Willow
Salix drummondiana
Poplar-Willow family (Salicaceae)

Typical of almost all Willows, Drummond's Willow inhabits wetlands. The species was first collected for science in the Rocky Mountains by Thomas Drummond in the early 1800s. Drummond (1780-1835) was a famous botanist, naturalist, explorer, and Curator of the Belfast Botanical Gardens.


©2010 Al Schneider

Description

shrub, 3-10' tall. , narrowly to , with and slightly rolled margins. Leaves are glossy green above and dense silver-white hairy on the underside. Young twigs commonly gray and waxy. The appear before or with the leaves. Male are up to 1" long while female are larger, 1-2" in length. Female mature into fluff of hairs that are attached to the seeds.

Field Marks

Two-toned leaves, waxy twigs, plant to 10' tall.

© Al Schneider

An entire leaf has smooth edges. Not toothed or lobed.

A catkin is a tight cylindrical flower cluster where flowers connect directly to a stem. The flowers generally don't have petals and the stem is often drooping.

Deciduous plants are those that lose all of their leaves for part of the year.

elliptic -- Oval, with no point or a very short point.

leaves alternate along the main stem and are attached singly.

oblong -- Having an elongated form with somewhat parallel sides. Rectangular.