| Salix sitchensis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Salicaceae |
| Genus: | Salix |
| Species: | S. sitchensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Salix sitchensis Sanson ex Bong. |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Salix coulteri |
|
Salix sitchensis is a species of willow known by the common name Sitka willow. It is native to northwestern North America from Alaska to northern California to Montana. It is a common to abundant plant in many types of coastal and inland wetland habitat, such as marshes, riverbanks, swamps, coastal sand dunes, and mountain springs. It is variable in appearance, taking the form of a bushy shrub or an erect tree up to 8 meters tall. The leaves are up to 12 centimeters long, lance-shaped or oval with pointed tips, smooth-edged or toothed, often with the edges rolled under. The undersides are hairy to woolly in texture, and the upper surfaces are mostly hairless and dark green. The inflorescence is a catkin of flowers, slender or short and stout. Male catkins are up to 5 or 6 centimeters long and female catkins are longer, sometimes exceeding 10 centimeters as the fruits develop.