Salix mucronata (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007)
| Salix mucronata (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007) |
Salix mucronata (S. subserrata) Salicaceae Indigenous
Common names
- English: Wild willow
- Agewgna: Tsutsui
- Amargna: Ahaya, Wonz admik
- Gimirigna: Eleselesek
- Oromugna: Alaltu, Alatu, Barodo
- Somaligna: Buro
- Tigrigna: Kwaa
Ecology
Widely distributed in a stretch in Africa from the Nile lands in the north to South Africa. A small tree occurring along river and stream banks, in woodlands as well as in lower and upper highland forests with Schefflera in Moist and Wet Kolla, Weyna Dega, and Dega agroclimatic zones of nearly all regions, 1,250–2,850 m.
Uses
Firewood, medicine, bee forage, soil conservation (stabilising river banks and gullies), toothbrushes.
Description
An evergreen shrubby tree 2–10 m, its shape often distorted by floods.
- BARK: Young twigs hairy, then smooth, reddish. Bark grey‑brown, grooved.
- LEAVES: Variable, olive green, shiny above, pale silver‑grey below, to 16 x 3 cm, edge finely toothed, on a short stalk.
- FLOWERS: Terminal or on short side shoots, in short spikes, no petals or sepals. Male catkins dense to 5 cm, yellow due to stamens. Female spikes shorter, greenish flowers.
- FRUIT: In upright heads, about 3 cm long, with small capsules which split to set free tiny woolly seeds, wind dispersed.
Propagation
Grows easily from woody cuttings. This is the preferred method.
Seed
Collect seeds by cutting the fruiting branches before the fruits are open. Later the tufted woolly seeds will be blown away by wind. Seeds are, however, normally not used for propagation of Salix as they grow well from cuttings.
- Treatment: Not applicable.
- Storage: Not necessary.
Management
No special management is needed except planting and caring for the cuttings at the right site. Cover the cuttings with moist and black cloth to initiate rooting before shooting. Remove the cover after the cuttings have rooted well.
Remarks
This tree occurs along waterways that are flooded during some part of the year. This is the only indigenous Salix sp. Salix are generally useful for stabilising river banks. The taxonomy of this species has been debated and S. subserrata and S. mucronata have earlier been treated as separate species.
