Salix purpurea L.

• Authority

  Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

• Family

  Salicaceae

• Scientific Name

  Salix purpurea L.

• Description

  Species Description - Many-stemmed shrub 1–2.5 m; twigs slender, greenish- yellow or rarely purplish, glabrous; stipules none; lvs short-petioled, mostly linear-oblanceolate or spatulate or linear, 4–7(–10) cm × 7–14(18) mm, entire below, irregularly serrate toward the tip, finely raised-reticulate on both sides, with a purplish cast, glaucescent beneath, glabrous, at least some of those towards the ends of the twigs subopposite; catkins precocious, 2–3.5 cm × 5–8 mm, sessile, bracteate, subopposite; scales broadly obovate, blackish, becoming glabrate; stamens 2 but the filaments and often the anthers united; frs ovoid-conic, 3–4 mm, obtuse, sessile, short-hairy; style 0.1–0.2 mm; 2n=38. Native of Europe, sparingly escaped from cult. in our range.

• Common Names

  basket willow, purple osier