Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

WILLOW FAMILY (SALICACEAE*)
14. Sauce, Humboldt willow Salix humboldtiana Willd.*
r
An exotic ornamental tree easily recognizecl b : The sap~vood is whitish, and the heart\vood dull
(1) the very narrow coluninnr cro\vn with st~nig ~t gray nnd reddish. The wood is soft, liglit\veiglit
nsls; (2) nearly erect bmnclres; (8) sle~ider yel- (specific grnvity 0.4), and eas to work. It is not
low-green twigs; and (4) tlie rely narro\v (I~II- du~~iblo and is very suscept,ib r e to attnclc by dryem),
long-pointed, finely saw-tootlied leaves. Ap- ~vood tcrniites. The wood is used only for posts
nrently this species does not flo\ver in Puerto and fuel in Puerto Rico. Else\vhoi.s ~t, has bee11
Rico.
employed for boxes and in cnbinetmnlcing, and
A small to medium-sized evergreen tree attain- the bnrl< has served in niedicine. Baskets and
ing 20-60 feet in height and 8 inches in truiik ~vicker funliture are made from the slender flexidiameter.
The gray bnrlc is ro~~gli :tnd furrowed. ble r q brnnclies.
I~ltier bark is pinkish and slightly bitter. Tlio I he columnnr form is grown as tin ornamental,
twigs are sometimes pinkisli t,ingecl.
particulnrly in cemeteries and nlso in pnrks and
The alternate leaves lla\~e sliort slender green- ,prdens wid in living fences. Also in St. Croix.
ish or pinkish petioles about l/s inch long. At base The species is propagated from cuttinp.
there is a pair of broad, short-pointed, toothed, RASGE.-Native from centn~l Aiex~co south to
green scales (stipnles) l/g-3/S incl~ long, clasping Clrile atid Argentina. Planted also in sout.llern
tho twig. Leaf blades nre 2-5 inches long nncl l~loricla, Gren ter Antilles, and in Guadeloupe,
%6-3/S ~nch brotld, short-poi~ited at base, with Alul-tinique, St. Vincent, and perhaps other Lesser
lnteral veins inconspicuous, ttpeiy thin, and dull Antilles.
green on both sides. Tlie fo Y inge h,zs a slight but 0.r111cn c*o~;\rox ~~31~s.-tnimbre (Puerto
distinctive odor.
Rico) ; sauce (Spanish) ; sauce colornclo, mimbre
Where present, the flowe~s nre male and fe~ilnle (Colo~nbia) ; pajarobobo (Peru) ; sauce amargo,
on different trees (dioecious), crowded wit11 woolly sti~lce chileno (Chile) ; siiuce criollo, sauce colomdo
scales in narrow clusters (catkins 1%-21/2 inches (Arge~it~inn) ; sauce criollo, snllce blnnco (Urulong,
terminal on short txip. h 1 ale flowers con- nay) ; Humboldt willom-, \villom (United States,
sist of 4-7 st:imens above 11 \voolly scale, and fe- %ngislI) ; mule (French) ; snule, peuplier (Gsadem;rle
flowers with ~voolly scnle nt base hare a pistil loupe) ; snlgueiro, sillso, clloriio (I3rnzil).
composed of 1-celled ovnry nnd 2 stigmas. Seed I3rnd\src~\r, s~sosnr.-Sdix chile?^& nnth., not
capsules nearly 3/,6 inch lotrg contain m:iny small 8. chiletla& iliolina, a name of uncertain npplicaseeds
\\*it11 tufts of cottony hairs,
tion.