Salix hastata
| Salix hastata | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Salicaceae |
| Genus: | Salix |
| Species: | S. hastata |
| Binomial name | |
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Salix hastata L. |
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| Synonyms | |
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Salix walpolei |
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Salix walpolei
Salix hastata is a species of flowering plant in the willow family, known by the common name halberd willow. It has an "almost circumpolar" distribution, occurring throughout the northern latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, most frequently found near the coast of the Arctic Ocean. In Alaska, it occurs in the north and in the central mountains. It also occurs in northwestern Canada, and in Norway and Russia, as well as various alpine or mountainous areas of Eurasia.
The specific epithet hastata means "spear-shaped".
This willow varies widely in appearance, depending on environmental conditions. In general, it is a shrub growing 1 to 2 meters tall, but known to reach 4 meters. It forms thickets. The deciduous, alternately arranged leaves are up to 9.2 centimeters long. The leaves are often hairy, especially along the underside. The species is dioecious, with male and female reproductive parts occurring on separate plants. The inflorescence is a catkin up to 5 centimeters long. The flowers are pollinated mainly by bees. The seeds germinate immediately upon contacting the substrate.
Thickets of the shrub occur on slopes and riverbanks in the Arctic, in alpine climates, and on tundra. It is a pioneer species, colonizing recently cleared habitat, such as floodplains that have recently been scoured by water. It also grows in recently burned areas. Associated species include Barclay willow (Salix barclayi), Alaska willow (Salix alaxensis), tealeaf willow (S. pulchra), Richardson willow (S. lanata ssp. richardsonii), black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa), alder (Alnus spp.), sedges (Carex ssp.), and mosses (Polytrichum ssp.). On the Alaska North Slope, S. hastata is a low-growing shrub. Sites that supported this and other low-growing willow species before being disturbed for construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System were observed to have been recolonized by low-growing willows within four years after disturbance ceased. Natural regeneration of low-growing willows such as S. hastata was successful on moist riparian sites with silty soils, where they were mixed with the taller Alaska willow (S. alaxensis), and on dry sites with fine-textured soils.
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Wikipedia