this tree is about 20 feet high with dark green shiny leaves that emits a constant floating fuzzy material (seed perhaps) all summer (see photo) - would like to know what it's called - grows in Edmonton Alberta Canada
I'm far from an expert in willows. What makes you sure it is S. lucida and not S. pentandra (Laurel Leaf willow.) Admittedly the two are closely related. As partial support for pentandra: 1. It's commonly used on the prairie as a shelterbelt tree, has naturalized there. It grows in non-wetland locations, although the naturalized version is usually found in places with standing water for a few weeks in spring. 2. The photo of the mature specimen is pushing the envelope of the size for lucida. 3. Based in the wikipedia articles for both, the color is too dark for lucida. Of course with one photo of each, not controlled for color, this may be meaningless.
Regarding FNA (http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=317494), the difference between S. lucida and S. pentandra is: S. lucida: Stipules on early leaves foliaceous; juvenile blade hairs white and ferruginous; branchlets usually hairy, sometimes glabrescent. S. pentandra: Stipules on early leaves absent or rudimentary; juvenile blades glabrous; branchlets glabrous. This does not exclude other possibilities, but as for these two, I do not see visible stipules on this photo.
Ok. Now I need to figure out what I have here. Can you recommend a good online illustrated dictionary of botanical terms? It's been too long since my systematic botany classes. (32 years...)
It is difficult to recommend a particular site with all information needed, especially for some taxon-specific terms. Most of general terms can be found on hundreds of sites. Just google with "botanical terms" and go over several links. Wikipedia link among them looks quite complete: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_botanical_terms For many terms, it is better to see than to decifer the texual explanation. For this, repeat the same search in "images" mode and you will be supplied with lots of schemes and diagrams explaining various terms. Add to the search your specific term and if you are lucky, you should get the answer. That is what I usually do - my botany classes (in different language) are also deep into history, about 38 years ago. Good luck!
Or... and this is something I just learned, because I was going to suggest the book: Categorical Glossary for the Flora of North America Project or a direct link to the database itself: http://128.2.21.109/fmi/xsl/FNA/home.xsl Click on "show all records". Daniel
At least some of these claimed differences are vigour and nutrient status related; Bay Willow (a common local native where I am in northern England: map) is certainly variable in both leaf colour and stipule size, with strong fast-growing shoots having significantly larger stipules and darker leaves than slower-growing plants on poorer quality soils. So if your native S. lucida are on poor soils, and the S. pentandra is cultivated on better quality soils, that could give those "differences" through environmental factors. The stipules are caducous, usually falling in late spring or early summer; the photo above is from September, so stipules don't help here. One of my books states "S. lucida differs [from Bay Willow] in having a long drawn-out point to the narrower leaf, and the net veining is not so prominent as in S. pentandra". On that basis, the photo posted here shows one S. lucida leaf central among S. pentandra foliage ;-) But I'm struggling to see that difference too when I look at pics of S. lucida (e.g. here [spring pic, so it has stipules]). I've not seen any mention of hybrids between the two, but I'd suspect they (a) occur, and (b) would be very hard to detect. One other point mentioned repeatedly in local literature here, is that usually only male clones of Bay Willow are cultivated, as they are more attractive: e.g. "In southern Britain the absence of female specimens is often a reliable indicator of non-native status": Meikle, Willows and Poplars of Great Britain and Ireland. That the specimen here is female could therefore suggest it is more likely a native S. lucida (or a naturalised hybrid!).
