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Salix cinerea

"Grey sallow" redirects here. For the moth with this name, see Psaphida grandis.

Salix cinerea
Salix cinerea subsp. cinerea, Germany
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Salicaceae
Genus: Salix
Species:
S. cinerea
Binomial name
Salix cinerea
Distribution map

Salix cinerea (common sallow, grey sallow, grey willow, grey-leaved sallow, large grey willow, pussy willow, rusty sallow[2]) is a species of willow native to Europe and western Asia.[3][4]

The plant provides a great deal of nectar for pollinators. It was rated in the top 10, with a ranking of second place, for most nectar production (nectar per unit cover per year) in a UK plants survey conducted by the AgriLand project which is supported by the UK Insect Pollinators Initiative.[5]

Plant

Close-ups of Salicaceae flowers

It is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing 4–10 metres (13–30 ft) tall. The leaves are spirally arranged, 2–9 cm (1–3+1⁄2 in) long and 1–3 cm (1⁄2–1+1⁄2 in) broad (exceptionally up to 16 cm long and 5 cm broad), green above, hairy below, with a crenate margin. The flowers are produced in early spring in catkins 2–5 cm long; it is dioecious with male and female catkins on separate plants. The male catkins are silvery at first, turning yellow when the pollen is released; the female catkins are greenish grey, maturing in early summer to release the numerous tiny seeds embedded in white cottony down which assists wind dispersal.[3][4]

Taxonomy

The closely related species Salix atrocinerea Brot., which overlaps in distribution in France, Belgium, Netherlands, England and Ireland, is considered by some authors as the subspecies S. cinerea oleifolia (Gaudin) Macreight. S. atrocinerea differs from S. cinerea in that it is taller (reaching up to 15 metres), has a deeply furrowed bark, dark red-brown hairs beneath the leaves, smaller stipules, and is earlier deciduous.[3][4] Despite the coexistence of these two nomenclatures, the main taxonomic databases regard S. cinerea oleifolia as synonym of S. atrocinerea.[6][7]

Ecology

Salix cinerea seeds on a birch tree branch

Grey willow grows in wetlands, moist depressions, ditches, embankments, banks of stagnant or slow-moving water bodies, and forest edges, where it encounters low-lying damp situations with waterlogged and nutrient-poor soils. S. cinerea is a pioneer species that rapidly colonizes disturbed sites.[8]

A common herbivore of Salix cinerea is Phratora vulgatissima, which prefers and is more common on female plants.[9] Anthocoris nemorum, a natural enemy of Phratora vulgatissima, is also more common on S. cinerea.[9]

Invasive species

Salix cinerea is an invasive species in New Zealand and is listed on the National Pest Plant Accord, which means it cannot be sold or distributed. S. cinerea is also highly invasive in south-eastern Australia,[10] with the entire genus listed as a Weed of National Significance. The species was introduced to stop erosion along riverbanks, but has since caused worse erosion over time by widening and shallowing invaded streams.

References

  1. ^ Lansdown, R.V. (2014). "Salix cinerea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T19620468A19621296. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T19620468A19621296.en. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Queensland Government Fact Sheet". Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Meikle, R. D. (1984). Willows and Poplars of Great Britain and Ireland. BSBI Handbook No. 4. ISBN 0-901158-07-0.
  4. ^ a b c Christensen, K. I., & Nielsen, H. (1992). Rust-pil (Salix cinerea subsp. oleifolia) - en overset pil i Danmark og Skandinavien. Dansk Dendrologisk Årsskrift 10: 5-17.
  5. ^ "Which flowers are the best source of nectar?". Conservation Grade. 2014-10-15. Archived from the original on 2019-12-14. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  6. ^ "Salix cinerea subsp. oleifolia (Gaudin) Macreight". Plant of the World Online. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Salix atrocinerea Brot". WFO Plant List. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  8. ^ Isebrands, J. G., & Richardson, J. (Eds.). (2014). Poplars and willows: trees for society and the environment. CAB International and FAO. ISBN 9781780641089
  9. ^ a b Kabir, Faisal MD; Moritz, Kim K; Stenberg, Johan A. (2015-04-19). "Plant-sex-biased tritrophic interactions on dioecious willow". Ecosphere. 5 (12): art153. doi:10.1890/ES14-00356.1.
  10. ^ Cremer, K. W. (2003) Introduced willows can become invasive pests in Australia. Biodiversity, 4, 17-24.
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