HORTSCIENCE 51(4):334–341. 2016. in Korea) was confirmed as S. chaenomeloides. This accession was introduced by Peter Bristol of Holden Arboretum and Paul W. Meyer of Clarifying Affiliations of Salix Morris Arboretum. The cuttings were taken from a plant at the Chollipo Arboretum in South gracilistyla Miq. Cultivars and Hybrids Korea on 7 Oct. 1981. The parent plant was 1 ‘‘collected from the wild in nearby hills’’ (Paul Yulia A. Kuzovkina W. Meyer, personal communication, Dec. 2015). Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, Unit-4067, These studies were based on information University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-4067 from the protologues, authentic herbarium specimens held in Harvard University Her- Michael Dodge baria, U.S. (A), Herbarium Universitatis Vermont Willow Nursery, 1943 Ridge Road North, Fairfield, VT 05455-5631 Florentinae, Italy (FI), Royal Botanic Gar- dens Kew, UK (K), Main Botanical Garden, Irina V. Belyaeva Russia (MHA), Naturalis Biodiversity Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE, UK Center, Leiden, Netherlands (NHM), and Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, France Additional index words. Salix gracilistyla, Salix chaenomeloides, willow, nomenclature, (P) (herbarium acronyms (Thiers, 2013). No- japanese pussy willow, cultivar, asian pussy willow menclature and a comparison of the two Abstract. Salix gracilistyla Miq., japanese pussy willow or rosegold willow, is an ornamental species are presented below. Accepted names shrub commonly cultivated for its prominent display of catkins in early spring. Verification are given in bold. Typification was made of stocks of willows in the North American landscape nursery trade revealed that another according to the International Code of name—Salix chaenomeloides Kimura—is associated frequently with plants similar to Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants S. gracilistyla. Morphological analyses conducted during this study have shown that the (Melbourne Code) (McNeill et al., 2012). Our S. chaenomeloides binomial is misapplied often to S. gracilistyla, its cultivars and hybrids. objective was to promote the correct usage A comparison of the diagnostic characters of S. gracilistyla and S. chaenomeloides is of the scientific name S. gracilistyla and to presented to explain the differences between these taxa and to promote the adoption of the discontinue the misapplication of the name correct names. Five cultivars of S. gracilistyla valued for their early spring catkin displays, S. chaenomeloides within the community of variegated foliage, and pendulous habits, and two cultivars of a hybrid origin are willow growers and authors of plant cataloging. summarized. Also, two new ornamental cultivars called Salix ‘Winter Glory’ and Salix ‘Rabbit’s Foot’ are described. Historical Application Most horticultural references from the 20th and 21st centuries (Bailey, 1924; Bailey and Willows (Salix L.) are grown widely in outstanding early spring display of catkins Bailey, 1976; Bean, 1981; Hillier, 2014; many temperate countries because of their emerging from large buds (Fig. 1). Krussmann, 1978, 1984; Rehder, 1927, 1940, notable characteristics that include rapid growth Observations of nursery stock offerings of 1949; Walter et al., 1989) did not list rate, ornamental appearance, and easy vegeta- willows revealed that another name—S. S. chaenomeloides among cultivated plants. tive propagation (Dickmann and Kuzovkina, chaenomeloides Kimura with the common The first reference to this species in cultivation 2014). Salix gracilistyla Miq., japanese pussy names ‘‘giant pussy willow’’ or ‘‘asian pussy was found in the specialized volume ‘‘Willows: willow or rosegold willow, is an ornamental willow,’’ became attached to the morpholog- the Genus Salix’’ by Newsholme (1992) which willow commonly found in the nursery trade. It ically similar plants labeled as S. gracilistyla, is commonly used by practical horticulturists is cultivated for its graceful arching habit and and are found frequently in the catalogues of and nursery professionals. The description of many North American growers. For example, S. chaenomeloides in this book was found to be the Plant Information Online database (2015) inaccurate as it fits with most characters of that lists sources of plants in North American S. gracilistyla,butnotS. chaenomeloides.The Received for publication 4 Dec. 2015. Accepted for nurseries, reported that S. chaenomeloides was monochromatic drawing and the color picture publication 15 Feb. 2016. available from 18 nurseries, eight of which are displayed by Newsholme (1992: p. 62, Fig. 22 We thank Leen Leus, Plant Science Unit at the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research, wholesale sellers. In contrast, S. chaenome- and plate 19) are both labeled S. chaenome- Belgium, for analyzing the DNA content; Cynthia loides was not mentioned in the major U.K. loides, but have illustrated S. gracilistyla Jones, University of Connecticut and Bill Hen- database related to the plant trade (Royal instead. Tapani Uronen from Salicetum Vain- dricks, Klyn Nursery, for photography assistance; Horticultural Society Plant Finder, 2015), and ionranta (Finland) received a plant named Chiara Nepi and Egildo Luccioli from the Herbarium no evidence of the name or species availability S. chaenomeloides from Newsholme’s collec- Universitatis Florentinae, Italy (FI) and Christel in continental Europe was recorded. tion and noted that this clone did not have the Schollaardt from the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, To verify plant identity, fourteen accessions characteristics of this species. Uronen called Leiden, Netherlands (NHM), for assistance with of these two species were procured from North this plant ‘‘western S. chaenomeloides’’ or ‘‘red herbarium specimens; Barry Yinger, Conard Pyle American nurseries, botanic gardens, and pri- bud pussy willow’’ suggesting that it is proba- Star Roses; Stefan Lura, U.S. National Arboretum; Wayne Mezitt, Weston Nurseries; Michael Dirr, vate collections between 1999 and 2015. Plant bly ‘‘a hybrid which is very closely related to University of Georgia; Gary Koller, Koller and identification was based on observations of S. gracilistyla’’ (Uronen, 2004; T. Uronen, Associates; Rick Darke, Rick Darke LLC; Paul the specimens through different phenological personal communication, Sept. 2015). Meyer, Morris Arboretum, for historical information; stages and by cross-checking with the original The name S. chaenomeloides appeared in Tim Wood, Spring Meadow Nursery; Dave Reed, taxonomical treatments and some type speci- the two most recent editions of the authoritative Meadows Farm Landscaping, Virginia; Tapani Uro- mens. It was confirmed that misapplication of U.S. manual by Dirr (1998, 2009); however, nen, Salicetum Vainionranta (Finland); Shu Suehiro the name S. chaenomeloides took place in this species was not listed in previous editions. (http://www.botanic.jp/contents/zx.htm) Japan, for many cases. There was considerable misuse Also, the description of S. chaenomeloides in taxonomic information; Ethan Johnson, Holden of the names, as almost all accessions listed as this volume was erroneous and fits S. graci- Arboretum; Irina Kadis, Arnold Arboretum, for re- trieving documents and preparing voucher specimens. S. chaenomeloides are indeed S. gracilistyla or listyla,notS. chaenomeloides. Consequently, We thank anonymous reviewers for their helpful its hybrids. Only one accession of S. chaeno- misuse of the name S. chaenomeloides was comments and suggestions. meloides thatwasreceivedin1999from found in scientific publications and extension 1Corresponding author. E-mail: jkuzovkina@ Holden Arboretum, IL (No 81-604-88 1981 materials in North America throughout the uconn.edu. as Salix cf. glandulosa Seemen; wild collected last 20 years (Armitage and Dirr, 1995; Greer 334 HORTSCIENCE VOL. 51(4) APRIL 2016 Arboretum. Next, this plant was distributed from the Arnold Arboretum in 1990 to the Holden Arboretum as accession S. chaenome- loides ‘‘90-248.’’ Also, it is likely that the same plant was disseminated from the Arnold Arboretum to some U.S. nurseries (Wayne Mezitt and Gary Koller, personal communica- tion, July 2015). This specimen at the Arnold Arboretum is still alive (Irina Kadis, personal communication, July 2015), but as of 17 June 2014 was labeled as in ‘‘fair condition; major stem canker; major deadwood; bracket fungi at 1.0 m to 2.0 m; minor insect damage (chewed leaves).’’ The voucher specimen of this plant (No. 139-90-A, collection number 27-2015), collected on 18 July 2015, is deposited at the Herbarium of the Arnold Arboretum (A). Michael Dirr noted that S. chaenomeloides was given to him by Don Shadow (Shadow Nursery, Inc., Winchester, TN) in early Feb. 1988, and planted at the University of Georgia Farm. However, it is possible that Don Shadow also received his specimen from Barry Yinger (Dirr, 2009; M. Dirr, personal communication, July 2015). These plants were used in cut-branch trials by Allan Armitage Fig. 1. (Left) Salix gracilistyla Miq., japanese pussy willow, during anthesis; (right) S. gracilistyla Miq. (Armitage and Dirr, 1995). ‘Mt. Aso’ after inflorescence expansion. Photos by M. Dodge. Another introduction of plants under the incorrect name S. chaenomeloides into North identified as S. chaenomeloides (‘‘Salix glan- America took place during the 1985 Elite dulosa Seem.’’), may have resulted in the Plants Expedition to Japan, conducted by original confusion (Fig. 2). This specimen Sylvester (Skip) G. March of the U.S. National was not mentioned