Wahlenb. Flora Ups., according to Koch Comm., p. 14., Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 1.- The catkins bearing rarely male flowers and female ones, and some of the stamens being changed into monstrous pistils.

17. S. MEYERIA NA Willd. Meyer's Willow.

Identification. Willd. Berl. Baumz., p. 427.; Hayne Abbild., p. 222.; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 33. ; Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3., p. 421.

Synonymes. Koch, in his Comm., p. 14., has presented the following:-"S. cuspidata Schultz Fl. Starg. Suppl., p. 47.; S. tinctòria Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 13.; S. pentandra 3 Linn. Fl. Suec., according to Smith; S. hexándra Ehrh. Arb., 140.; S. Ehrhartiana Smith in Recs's Cyclopædia. Koch has adopted the name S. cuspidata Schultz. S. tetrandra Willd. is quoted as synonymous in Hook, Br. Fl., ed. 3.

The Sexes. The male is figured in Hayne's Abbild., and described and figured in Sal. Wob., unless some mistake as to the kind has occurred: see Borrer, below. The female is mentioned in Koch's Com., and Hooker's Br. Fl., ed. 3., p. 421.

Engravings. Hayne Abbild., t. 162.; Sal. Wob., No. 33., with a doubt, at least, as to the flowerbearing specimen; our fig. 1300.; and fig. 33. in p. 1610.

:

Spec. Char., &c. Leaves ovate-elliptic, pointed, glabrous, green, and shining above, rather pale beneath, but not glaucous, serrated; the serratures of the young leaves glandular. Stipules soon falling off. Stamens 3-4. Bractea obtuse, yellow. (Sal. Wob., p. 65.) Koch has stated the geographic distribution of S. cuspidata Schultz, to which he refers the S. Meyeriana Willd., to be Pomerania and Sweden, in meadows, and woody and marshy places. Germany is given as the native country of this kind in our Hortus Britannicus, and in Sweet's: and the date of its introduction into Britain is, in the former, 1822; in the latter, 1823. Mr. Borrer states that the insertion of this kind in Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 3., as a native of Britain, arose from a mistake of his. (See Borrer in Comp. to Bot. Mag., p. 225.) It forms a handsomegrowing tree, with brownish smooth branches, which are slightly warty; and large, broad, shining leaves, somewhat unequal, and obtuse at the base, often broadest above the middle of an ovate-elliptic shape, pointed; green, smooth, and shining above; pale, but not glaucous, beneath; strongly serrated, and the serratures of the younger leaves furnished with glands. Nearly allied to S. lucida, which, however, has smaller leaves, and longer, more slender, catkins. It flowers in April. S. Meyeriana is a desirable kind of willow for introducing into ornamental plantations of the coarser kind, as it grows quickly, and has large shining leaves, and the catkins of flowers of the male are ornamental. It assimilates to S. pentándra in its flowers, but is obviously distinct from that kind when the two are seen growing near together. It is of freer growth, is more robust, and its leaves are longer, narrower, and more shining. Mr. Borrer has communicated the following remarks relative to the figure of S. Meyeriana, given in Sal. Wob., No. 33.:-"I never saw the catkins sessile, as represented in Sal. Wob., t. 33., but always on leafy stalks, as in S. lùcida, t. 32. Possibly the two figures represent the same species. In American specimens of S. lucida Mühl. and Willd., there is some silkiness on the young leaves. Still they may be of the same species as S. Meyeriana; and, if so, S. lùcida is the older name." There are plants at Woburn Abbey, at Henfield, and at Flitwick House, the latter of which are 13 ft. high.

18. S. LUCIDA Mühlenb. The shining-leaved Willow.

Identification. Mühlenb. Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol., 4. p. 239. t. 6. f. 7.; Willd. Sp. Pl., 4. 667.; Mühlenb. Sims et Kön. Ann. of Bot., 2. 66. t. 5. f. 7. Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 615. ; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 32.; Michx. North Amer. Sylva, 3. p. 81.; ? Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 32., who has quoted Willd. with doubt.

Synonymes. S. Forbèsi Sweet Hort. Brit., ed. 1830; where it is stated to be not the S. lucida of others, and where the S. lùcida of Spreng. Syst., (which is the S. lùcida Mühlenb., is registered besides.

The Sexes. The male is described and figured in Sal. Wob., and noticed below, in the Specific Character.

Engravings. Nov. Act. Soc. Nat. Scrut. Berol., 4. t. 6. f. 7.; Sims et Kön. Ann. of Bot., 2. t. 5. f. 7. ; Michx. North Amer. Sylva, 3. t. 125. f. 3. ; ? Sal. Wob., 32.; our fig. 1301.; and fig. 32. in p. 1610. Spec. Char., &c. Leaves ovate, acuminate, serrated, glabrous; shining above, pale beneath; the serratures resinous. Footstalks glandular. Stipules large, half-heart-shaped, serrated, and furnished with glands. Catkins of the male

1 in. long, or more. Stamens 3-5, bearded at the base. (Sal. Wob., p. 63.) Mr. Forbes believes that the kind which he has elucidated is a native of Switzerland; but the S. lùcida Mühlenb. is a native of North America; and this may be one reason, at least, why Mr. Sweet distinguished the plants of the two countries as of two species, as shown under Synonymes, above. S. lùcida of the Salictum Woburnense forms a handsome low-growing tree, with the branches of the preceding year of a greyish green colour, and smooth: the young twigs are of a yellowish green, somewhat striated, or angular, at the points. It flowers in April and May, and "appears a good

basket willow." Mr. Forbes received it from Messrs. Loddiges, under the name of S. Meyeriana; which species, he says, is readily distinguished from S. lùcida by its much larger leaves, and shorter obtuse catkins. There are plants in the Goldworth Arboretum, and in the salictum at Woburn.

Group v. Frágiles Borrer.

Trees, with their Twigs mostly brittle at the Joints.

Stamens 2 to a flower. Ovary glabrous, elongated, seated upon a more or less obvious stalk. Flowers very loosely disposed in the catkin. Leaves lanceolate, serrated, glabrous, stipuled. The plants, trees of considerable size. (Hook. Br. Fl., ed. 2., adapted.)

19. S. BABYLONICA L. The Babylonian, or weeping, Willow. Identification. Lin. Sp. Pl., 1443.; Willd. Sp. Pl., 4. p. 671.; Smith in Rees's Cyclo., No. 42.; Forbes in Sal. Wob., No. 22.; Koch Comm., p. 17., note; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 614. Synonymes. S. propendens Sering. Sal. Hel., p. 73. (Koch); S. orientalis, &c., Tourn.; S. arábica, &c., C. Bauh.; Saule pleureur, Parasol du grand Seigneur, Fr.; Trauer Weide, Thränen Weide, Ger.

The Sezes. The female is figured in Sal. Wob.; the male is not known, in a living state, in Britain unless it be S. b. Napoleòna, as suggested in p. 1513.

Engravings. Rauw. It., 25. 183.; Sal. Wob., No. 22.; our fig. 22. in p. 1607. ; and the plates of this tree in our last Volume.

Spec. Char., &c. Leaves lanceolate, acuminate, finely serrated, glabrous; glaucous beneath. Catkins protruded at the same time as the leaves. Ovary ovate, sessile, glabrous. (Willd. Sp. Pl., 4 p. 671.) A native of Asia, on the banks of the Euphrates, near Babylon, whence its name; and also of China, and other parts of Asia; and of Egypt, and other parts of the north of Africa. It is said to have been first brought into England by Mr. Vernon, a merchant at Aleppo, who sent it to his seat at Twickenham Park, at about 1730, where it was seen growing by the celebrated Peter Collinson, in 1748. In the Hortus Kewensis, the date of its introduction is given as 1692; but no particulars are stated respecting it. Delille, in a note to his L'Homme des Champs, says that Tournefort first introduced it into Europe; and some authors, on the authority of the St. James's Chronicle for August, 1801, assert that Pope introduced it into England, and that his favourite tree at Twickenham was the first planted in this country. The story is, that Pope, happening to be with Lady Suffolk, when that lady received a present from Spain, or, according to some, from Turkey, observed that some of the pieces of withy bound round it appeared as though they would vegetate; and, taking them up said, “Perhaps these may produce something that we have not in England." Whereupon, the story adds, he planted one of them in his garden at Twickenham; which became the weeping willow, afterwards so celebrated. This paper was published about the time that Pope's willow was cut down, because the possessor of his villa was annoyed by persons asking to see it. The most probable of these stories appears to be, that the tree was brought to Europe by Tournefort. It is now universally cultivated wherever it will stand the open air, not only in Europe, but in Asia, and in the civilised parts of Africa: it is also a great favourite in North America. That this tree is a favourite one in China, and also very common in that country, appears from the frequent representations of it that are found on porcelain, tea-chests, &c. It is also pictured in a view of the village of Tonnan, drawn by John Nicohoff, July 3. 1655, on his way to Pekin, with the embassy which the Dutch sent to the Emperor of China in that year. (Syl. Flor., 2. p. 265.) That the Chinese use it in their planted garden scenery, along with other ornamental trees, is evident, from the published views of the