Salix Salix, Brot.

40. S. atrocinerea Brot. View in CoL , FI. Lusit. 1:31 (1804)

(S'. cinerea auct. eur. occid., S. oleifolia Sm. ).

Tall shrub or small tree up to 10 m. Young twigs somewhat pubescent, glabrescent, shining in the second year. Decorticated wood with ridges. Leaves obovate or oblong-oblanceolate, slightly denticulate to almost entire, soon glabrescent above and somewhat shiny, glaucous, with very short curved rust-coloured hairs beneath; lateral veins 8-15 pairs. Catkins 2-5 cm, appearing before the leaves, cylindrical, dense, sessile or subsessile; axis grey-hairy. Capsule tomentose. 2« = 76. W. Europe, from Britain to Portugal. Be Br Ga Hb Hs Lu [Az].

Subsp. catalaunica R. Görz , Cavanillesia 2: 142 (1930) from E. Spain (Cataluna) is said to have a petiole 3—5(—8) mm, leaves with rounded base and sinuate-dentate margin, very short style, and very indistinct stigma; it somewhat resembles S'. aurita .

S. atrocinerea hybridizes freely with 5. aurita and 5. caprea and evidently also with 5. cinerea , wherever they meet.