Balsam Willow

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Balsam Willow
Illustration [1]

illustration

Systematics
Rosids
Eurosiden I
Order : Malpighiales (Malpighiales)
Family : Willow family (Salicaceae)
Genre : Willows ( Salix )
Type : Balsam Willow
Scientific name
Salix pyrifolia
Andersson

The balsam willow ( Salix pyrifolia ) is a small tree from the genus of the willow ( Salix ) with shiny red-brown twigs and undersides of the leaves with a network of nerves. The natural range of the species is in North America. It is sometimes used as an ornamental plant because of its striking autumn color.

description

The balsam willow is an up to 7 meters high, richly branched tree with slender branches. The branches are shiny red-brown and bare. The leaves have no or small and decrepit stipules and a 6 to 15 millimeter long stalk. The leaf blade is 3 to 10 centimeters long, 2 to 4 centimeters wide, ovate or oblong-lanceolate, pointed, with a more or less heart-shaped to rounded base and a slightly notched, serrated leaf margin. Both sides are bare, the upper side of the leaf is dark green, the underside is blue-green and veined. The autumn color is golden yellow. Buds and leaves have a balm- like odor.

3 to 5 centimeters long, stalked catkins are formed as inflorescences . The bracts are yellow or reddish brown and hairy. Male flowers have two stamens . The ovary of female flowers is clearly stalked and glabrous, the stigma is sessile. 7 to 8 millimeter long capsules are formed as fruits . The balsam willow flowers in April.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 38.

Occurrence and location requirements

The natural range is in North America and ranges from subarctic Canada ( Yukon and the west of the Northwest Territories ) over the east and west of Canada to Minnesota , New York and Vermont in the United States. The balsamic willow grows in cool, moist forests on well-drained, fresh to moist, acidic to neutral, sandy or gravelly humus, moderately nutrient-rich soils in sunny to light-shaded, cool summer and cold locations. The species is frost hardy . The distribution area is assigned to winter hardiness zone 4 with mean annual minimum temperatures of −34.4 to −28.9 ° C (−30 to −20 ° F).

Systematics

The balsam willow ( Salix pyrifolia ) is a species from the genus of willows ( Salix ) in the willow family (Salicaceae). It was first scientifically described in 1867 by Nils Johan Andersson . The generic name Salix comes from Latin and was already used by the Romans for various types of willow. A frequently used synonym is Salix balsamifera Barratt ex Andersson .

The Balsam-Willow forms natural hybrids with Salix brachycarpa var. Psammophila .

use

The balsamic willow is sometimes used as an ornamental plant due to the impressive autumn colors .

The cultivar 'Mas' is a broad, bushy shrub up to 2 meters high with prostrate branches that take root when they come into contact with the ground. Its autumn color is a striking golden yellow. The cultivar is very often used as an ornamental shrub. It is also offered in tree nurseries as Salix balsamifera mas .

proof

literature

  • Andreas Roloff , Andreas Bärtels: Flora of the woods. Purpose, properties and use. With a winter key from Bernd Schulz. 3rd, corrected edition. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2008, ISBN 978-3-8001-5614-6 , p. 585.
  • Flora of North America Editorial Committee (Ed.): Flora of North America North of Mexico . Volume 7: Magnoliophyta: Salicaceae to Brassicaceae . Oxford University Press, New York / Oxford a. a. 2010, ISBN 978-0-19-531822-7 (English).
  • Helmut Genaust: Etymological dictionary of botanical plant names. 3rd, completely revised and expanded edition. Nikol, Hamburg 2005, ISBN 3-937872-16-7 (reprint from 1996).

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Illustration after Britton, Brown: Illustrated Flora of the Northern States and Canada , Vol. 1, 1913 p. 596 from USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
  2. ↑ German name after Roloff et al .: Flora der Gehölze , p. 585
  3. ↑ a b c d e f Salix pyrifolia , in the Flora of North America , Volume 7
  4. ↑ a b c d e Roloff et al .: Flora der Gehölze , p. 585
  5. ↑ a b c Salix pyrifolia . In: Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). United States Department of Agriculture, accessed August 12, 2012 .
  6. ↑ Exactly: Etymological Dictionary of Botanical Plant Names , p. 552

Web links

Commons : Balsam Willow ( Salix pyrifolia )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files