Salix starkeana Willd., morph (Salicaceae) (Finland, Siuntio, Kokkila, 1985). – Photo: Harri Harmaja. – This thicket, on calcareous soil at the border towards Lohja, consists of more than a dozen bushes deviating from typical plants of the species. The stems are higher and, twigs included, more robust. The leaves are thicker, larger, relatively broader, with more prominent veins below, and with a less acute, even obtuse, tip. The base of the leaf lamina is, instead of being acute or cuneate, variable in shape: somewhat cuneate, narrowly to rather broadly truncate, rounded, or even cordate. As the stipules are also larger, the short-petiolated leaves bear some resemblance to those of some races of S. hastata L. Also the female catkins display slight deviation; e.g., they have somewhat larger components being thus thicker. This kind of S. starkeana is very infrequent in Finland according to my observations in the field and the herbaria. - Some obviously less significant variation within otherwise typical S. starkeana of South Finland deserves also to be mentioned: on rare occasions the almost straight stems have reached slightly above two metres in height; once a bush with almost orbicular leaves was found, growing next to typical individuals. - The variation within S. starkeana (syn. S. depressa auct., S. livida Wahlenb.) described above does not seem to relate in any way to hybridization with other Salix species, nor are the more hairy and more northern taxa (S. xerophila B. Flod. = S. cinerascens Wahlenb., S. bebbiana Sarg.) involved.
Created in 2001.