Chinese Willow
Encyclopedia
Salix matsudana is a species of willow
native to northeastern China
. The species is named in honour of Sadahisa Matsudo, a Japan
ese botanist. Three varieties are recognized, Salix matsudana var. anshanensis, S. matsudana var. matsudana, and S. matsudana var. pseudomatsudana. The species is widely cultivated in China, and a horticultural variant with twisted twigs, the corkscrew willow, is widely planted.
Salix matsudana is a medium-sized to large, deciduous
, upright, rapidly growing tree to 20-25 ft tall, but has a short lifespan. Salix matsudana is dioecious
, with the male and female catkins on separate trees. The leaves
are narrow, light green, around 4-10 cm long and 1-2 cm broad. The flower
s are borne in catkin
s produced early in the spring
Many botanists, notably the Russian willow expert Alexei Konstantinovich Skvortsov, treat Salix matsudana as a synonym of the Peking Willow Salix babylonica, which, despite its botanical name, is also native to northern China. The only reported difference between the two is that S. matsudana has two nectaries in each female flower, whereas S. babylonica has only one; however this character is variable in many willows (e.g. Crack Willow Salix fragilis can have either one or two), so even this difference may not be a meaningful species distinction.
, including Australia
, Europe
and North America
.
A particularly popular cultivar
of this species is Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa', the "Corkscrew willow" (also known as the Hankow willow, curly willow, dragon's claw, or globe willow), in which the branches and twigs grow in a spiral, twisting manner. As a result of the ornamental shape of the branches and twigs, this cultivar is commonly used as a bonsai
plant and for floral arrangements. However, this cultivar is susceptible to canker
s, and is weak-wooded and prone to storm damage. Cultivars that have been selected to resist this include 'Golden Curls' (a hybrid with the white willow [Salix alba]); 'Scarlet Curls and 'Navajo', the "Navajo willow" selected in the southwestern United States
.
Another cultivar of hybrid origin between Chinese willow and white willow is 'Austree'; this is an exceptionally fast-growing cultivar with straight (not contorted) branches, sold for screening and fast tree cover. However it too is very prone to cankers and other diseases, making it very short-lived and unsuitable for most of the purposes for which it is sold.
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
native to northeastern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The species is named in honour of Sadahisa Matsudo, a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese botanist. Three varieties are recognized, Salix matsudana var. anshanensis, S. matsudana var. matsudana, and S. matsudana var. pseudomatsudana. The species is widely cultivated in China, and a horticultural variant with twisted twigs, the corkscrew willow, is widely planted.
Salix matsudana is a medium-sized to large, deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
, upright, rapidly growing tree to 20-25 ft tall, but has a short lifespan. Salix matsudana is dioecious
Plant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
, with the male and female catkins on separate trees. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are narrow, light green, around 4-10 cm long and 1-2 cm broad. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are borne in catkin
Catkin
A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster, with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated but sometimes insect pollinated . They contain many, usually unisexual flowers, arranged closely along a central stem which is often drooping...
s produced early in the spring
Classification
The Flora of China recognizes three varieties within the species Salix matsudana:- Salix matsudana var. anshanensis, endemic to LiaoningLiaoning' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
Province in northeastern China. - S. matsudana var. matsudana, widespread in northeastern China.
- S. matsudana var. pseudomatsudana, found only in the provinces of HebeiHebei' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
, HeilongjiangHeilongjiangFor the river known in Mandarin as Heilong Jiang, see Amur River' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur. The one-character abbreviation is 黑...
, and LiaoningLiaoning' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
.
Many botanists, notably the Russian willow expert Alexei Konstantinovich Skvortsov, treat Salix matsudana as a synonym of the Peking Willow Salix babylonica, which, despite its botanical name, is also native to northern China. The only reported difference between the two is that S. matsudana has two nectaries in each female flower, whereas S. babylonica has only one; however this character is variable in many willows (e.g. Crack Willow Salix fragilis can have either one or two), so even this difference may not be a meaningful species distinction.
Cultivation and uses
Chinese willow has been introduced into many areas as an ornamental treeOrnamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
, including Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
A particularly popular cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
of this species is Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa', the "Corkscrew willow" (also known as the Hankow willow, curly willow, dragon's claw, or globe willow), in which the branches and twigs grow in a spiral, twisting manner. As a result of the ornamental shape of the branches and twigs, this cultivar is commonly used as a bonsai
Bonsai
is a Japanese art form using miniature trees grown in containers. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penjing from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ...
plant and for floral arrangements. However, this cultivar is susceptible to canker
Canker
Canker and anthracnose are general terms for a large number of different plant diseases, characterised by broadly similar symptoms including the appearance of small areas of dead tissue, which grow slowly, often over a period of years. Some are of only minor consequence, but others are ultimately...
s, and is weak-wooded and prone to storm damage. Cultivars that have been selected to resist this include 'Golden Curls' (a hybrid with the white willow [Salix alba]); 'Scarlet Curls and 'Navajo', the "Navajo willow" selected in the southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
.
Another cultivar of hybrid origin between Chinese willow and white willow is 'Austree'; this is an exceptionally fast-growing cultivar with straight (not contorted) branches, sold for screening and fast tree cover. However it too is very prone to cankers and other diseases, making it very short-lived and unsuitable for most of the purposes for which it is sold.