Willows (Salix spp.)

Abstract

The members of the genus Salix (willow) are sometimes referred to as osiers and are in the family Salicaceae, which is composed of about 300 species of usually dioecious shrubs and trees found predominately in the northern hemisphere. There are a few found in the southern hemisphere but none are indigenous to Australia. The small number of alpine species and those found in the tundra regions near the polar areas are often extremely small and may be somewhat herbaceous in character. There is a range from extremely slow-growing species such as some of the alpine types, to very rapidly growing plants such as S. babylonica, S. alba, S. aquatica and S. viminalis. Several of the faster-growing types, along with their several hybrids, have been considered as logical candidates for bioenergy plantations (Fig. 1) for the production of biomass appropriate for use as alternative energy sources (Dickmann 1975; Read et al. 1982; Garton et al. 1983).