Willow, Yew

Salix taxifolia (yewleaf or yew-leaf willow) is a species of willow native to all of southern Mexico, also Pacific Coast regions, north to Sinaloa, and in the south Pacific Coast of Mexico into central Guatemala and spotty populations in SW United states including Texas.

It is a large shrub or tree that grows to 7-52 feet with needle-like leaves similar to a yew (thus its common name) with dense, rounded crown of erect and spreading branches, very small narrow leaves and very short catkins. Its range is identical to the Bonpland willow, S. bonplandiana.

LEAVES are alternate, simple, lanceolate with stipules absent or rudimentary; petiole (sometimes deeply grooved adaxially) 0.008-0.06 in, long- to short-silky adaxially; largest medial blade linear, lorate, or narrowly oblanceolate, 0.51-1.65 × 0.04-0.17 in, or 5.8-24.6 times as long as wide, base cuneate, margins flat, usually entire, rarely remotely spinulose-serrulate, apex acute to acuminate (apiculate), abaxial surface glaucous or not (sometimes obscured by hairs), densely long-silky, or villous to glabrescent, hairs appressed, straight, adaxial slightly glossy or dull, moderately densely long- or short-silky to glabrescent; proximal blade margins entire; juvenile blade yellowish green (color obscured by hairs), very densely long-silky abaxially.

CATKINS: staminate 0.26-0.71 × 0.16-0.28 in, flowering branchlet 0.04-1.50 in; pistillate moderately densely or loosely flowered, slender or stout, 0.24-0.63 × 0.16-0.28 in, flowering branchlet 0.31-0.51 in; floral bract 0.05-0.11 in, apex acute or convex, toothed or entire (glandular-dotted), abaxially hairy throughout or proximally, hairs straight. Flowers throughout year, mostly early Mar-late Jun. Unisexual, Dioecious.

STAMINATE FLOWERS: abaxial nectary 0.1-0.6 mm, adaxial nectary oblong or narrowly oblong, 0.5-1.1 mm, nectaries distinct; filaments hairy on proximal 1/2 or basally; anthers 0.4-0.7 mm.

PISTILLATE FLOWERS: adaxial nectary square, narrowly oblong, ovate, or oblong, 0.4-1.4 mm, longer than stipe; stipe 0-0.3 mm; ovary pyriform, long-silky or pilose, beak gradually tapering to or bulged below styles; ovules 16-26 per ovary; styles 0-0.3 mm; stigmas thin and cylindrical, 0.4-0.6 mm.

STEMS: branches red-brown, yellow-brown, or gray-brown, hairy or glabrous; branchlets yellow-brown, very densely long-silky, villous, or short-silky to glabrescent.

WILDLIFE: Thrives along streams in foothills and mountains; in oak woodlands, sometimes in deserts and desert grasslands where the flowers attract native bees and Tiger Swallowtail, Viceroy, Mourning Cloak, Sylvan Hairstreak among other butterflies.