Dwarf prairie willow

Salix tristis Aiton, Hort. Kew. 3: 393. 1789; S. humilis var. microphylla (Andersson) Fernald

Low to mid shrubs, 0.3-1 m. Stems decumbent; branches tomentose, peeled wood smooth or striate, striae sparse, to 2 mm; branchlets yellow-brown. Leaves: stipules absent or rudimentary on late ones; petiole 0.5-3(-6) mm, velvety or villous adaxially; largest medial blade narrowly oblong, narrowly elliptic, oblanceolate, or obovate, (13-)20-50(-70) × 3-13 mm, 2.3-9 times as long as wide, margins strongly revolute, abaxial surface hairs gray throughout, adaxial slightly glossy, moderately densely tomentose; proximal blade margins entire. Catkins: staminate 6.5-13.5 × 5-10 mm, flowering branchlet 0-1 mm; pistillate 11-17.5 × 5.5-12 mm, flowering branchlet 0-1.5 mm; floral bract 0.8-1.4 mm. Staminate flowers: filaments glabrous or hairy basally. Pistillate flowers: ovary pyriform; ovules 6 per ovary; stigmas 0.2-0.24-0.32 mm. Capsules 5-9 mm.

Flowering early Mar-late May. Moist limestone and serpentine barrens, open heath balds, open pine woods, moist prairies, swampy areas in open deciduous woods, stream banks; 60-1600 m; Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Ga., Ill., Ind., Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Hybrids:

Although variety tristis is reported to hybridize with Salix eriocephala, S. humilis var. humilis, and S. petiolaris (G. W. Argus 1986), hybrids have not been confirmed.