Salix petrophila, commonly known as alpine willow[1] and Rocky Mountain willow, is a Northwest American mountain shrub in the willow family (Salicaceae).[2]
| Salix petrophila | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Salicaceae |
| Genus: | Salix |
| Species: | S. petrophila
|
| Binomial name | |
| Salix petrophila Rydb.
| |
Habitat and range
editIt can be found in the subalpine zone and alpine zone of the Sierra Nevada range in wetlands such as moist banks and wet meadows, up to 9,900 to 13,000 feet (3,000 to 4,000 m).[2]
Growth pattern
editIt is often overlooked because although sprawling and mat-forming, it is very small for a shrub, growing to only 4 inches (0.10 m) tall.[2]
Leaves and stems
editLeaves are 3⁄4 to 1+3⁄4 inches (0.019 to 0.044 m) long, elliptic, with soft hairs on the surface when young.[2] The other mat forming Sierra Nevada alpine willow, Salix nivalis, has smaller leaves (1⁄4 to 7⁄8 inch (0.0064 to 0.0222 m) that are hairless when young.[2]
Inflorescence and fruit
editEach plant has either all male or all female flowers, with an inflorescence that is a dense, upright catkin, growing to 2 inches (0.051 m).[2]
Ecological interactions
editIt is pollinated by ants, as are some other willows.[2]
References
edit- ^ NRCS. "Salix petrophila". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g Wiese, Karen (2013). Sierra Nevada Wildflowers, 2nd Ed. Guilford, Connecticut: Globe Pequot Press. p. 197. ISBN 978-0-762-78034-1. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
 | This Salicaceae article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |