''Salix monticola'' is a species of flowering plant in the
willow family known by the common names mountain willow, cherry willow, serviceberry willow, and park willow. It is native to the United States, where it occurs in the
Rocky Mountains region from
Wyoming to
Arizona and
New Mexico.
[''Salix monticola''.]
Flora of North America. It also occurs in
Alaska and parts of Canada.
[Esser, L. 1992]
''Salix monticola''.
In: Fire Effects Information System, nline U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
This
willow is quite variable in appearance, depending on environmental conditions. It grows to
[ in dense clumps.][ The branches are yellowish or reddish-brown, mottled with green. The leaves are lance-shaped to oval and are up to long. They have smooth, wavy, or toothed edges.][ The species is ]dioecious
Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...
, with male and female reproductive parts occurring on separate plants. The flowers are often pollinated by bees. The seeds are viable for a short time, but germinate immediately on landing on an appropriate moist substrate.[
This plant is common on the riverbanks of Arctic Alaska and Yukon. It forms thickets on floodplains where recent deposits of soil have been washed down by floodwaters. In western Colorado, it may be a dominant or codominant species in riparian zones. It often forms thickets along waterways.][
This plant is an important food source for many types of animals, such as moose and ptarmigan. Honey bees use the pollen and nectar.][
]
References
External links
The Nature Conservancy
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7404904
monticola