Shrub or small tree to 5 m (15 ft) tall, with many trunks (thicket-forming). Twigs upright, thin, brown or gray. Leaves yellow-green to gray-green, linear, 4-10 cm (1.6-4 in) long and about 6 mm (0.25 in) wide, glabrous or hairy, acuminate, with few small teeth or sometimes none. Catkins 2.5-6 cm (1-2.4 in) long at ends of branchlets. Flowers very small, numerous, pale yellow.Capsules about 6 mm (1/4 in) long, egg-shaped, long-pointed.
Distribution: Native to a large portion of interior North America from Alaska to Mexico.
Habitat: Streambanks and other wet places.
NWI status: OBL
Comment: Salix is the old Latin name for the willows; exigua (short) refers to the usually small size of the plant.
Distribution in Oklahoma:
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Last update: 9/17/99
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