Common name: Weeping Willow
Salix babylonica L. APNI* 
Description: Spreading, weeping tree to 20 m high with a globose crown and short trunk; bark grey-brown, moderately fissured; twigs very slender, pendant, forming curtains of foliage in mature trees, green or brown-green; buds glabrescent, brown.
Leaves narrow-lanceolate, 5–18 cm long, 10–25 mm wide, ± glabrous, deep green above, glaucescent or glaucous below; apex very long-acuminate; margin shallowly toothed; stipules with sessile glands at the base.
Most plants female, but some male plants have been produced by back crossing hybrids; female catkins 6–30 mm long on short leafy lateral shoots; scales pale yellow-green. Catkins lengthening slightly and ovaries developing usually aborted seed.
Flowering: August–September.
Distribution and occurrence: very widely cultivated and naturalised along streams and around dams; spreads vegetatively. Native of China.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *CWS, *SWS, *SWP
Other Australian states: *Qld *Vic. *Tas. *S.A. *W.A.
Hybridises with other species, see S. x sepulcralis and S. x pendulina.
Text by S.W.L. Jacobs & L. Murray (2000)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 1 Suppl. (2000)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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