Introductory
SPECIES: Salix lemmonii | Lemmons Willow 



ABBREVIATION : 
SALLEM

SYNONYMS : 
   Salix austinae (Bebb)


SCS PLANT CODE : 
   SALE


COMMON NAMES : 
   Lemmons willow
   Lemmon willow


TAXONOMY : 
The currently accepted scientific name of Lemmons willow is Salix
lemmonii Bebb. [1].  It is closely related and possibly conspecific with
Geyer willow (S. geyeriana) [1].  Brunsfeld and Johnson [1] reported
that plants referred to in the past by numerous authorities as S.
geyeriana var. meleiana differ from S. geyeriana in a number of respects
and more closely match descriptions of S. lemmonii found in Idaho.
Hitchcock and Cronquist [11] have stated that although S. geyeriana and
S. lemmonii are obviously closely related, they should be retained as
distinct species until the necessity to combine them is clearly
demonstrated.


LIFE FORM : 
Shrub

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
No special status

OTHER STATUS : 
NO-ENTRY


COMPILED BY AND DATE : 
Ronald Uchytil/March 1989


LAST REVISED BY AND DATE : 
NO-ENTRY


AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Uchytil, Ronald J. 1989. Salix lemmonii. In: Remainder of Citation

DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Salix lemmonii | Lemmons Willow 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : 
Lemmon willow is found from the Sierra-Cascade region of California,
north to Oregon along the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains, and
east to Montana, Nevada, and Colorado [7,11].


ECOSYSTEMS : 
   FRES20  Douglas-fir
   FRES23  Fir - spruce
   FRES26  Lodgepole pine


STATES : 
     CA  CO  ID  MT  NV  OR  WY


ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS : 
     CRLA  GRTE  LAVO  YOSE


BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS : 
    2  Cascade Mountains
    4  Sierra Mountains
    5  Columbia Plateau
    6  Upper Basin and Range
    7  Lower Basin and Range
    8  Northern Rocky Mountains
    9  Middle Rocky Mountains
   10  Wyoming Basin 


KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS : 
   K005  Mixed conifer forest
   K007  Red fir forest
   K012  Douglas-fir forest
   K014  Grand fir - Douglas-fir forest
   K015  Western spruce - fir forest


SAF COVER TYPES : 
   206  Engelmann spruce - subalpine fir
   207  Red fir
   210  Interior Douglas-fir
   218  Lodgepole pine
   243  Sierra Nevada mixed conifer


SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES : 
NO-ENTRY


HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES : 
Lemmon willow occurs in riparian habitats, usually bordered by
coniferous forests of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) or Douglas-fir
(Pseudotsuga menziesii); or zones of mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia
tridentata ssp. vaseyana) [6,12].  Only one published classification
scheme listing Lemmon willow as a dominant was found:

Area                       Classification             Authority

OR: Deschutes, Ochoco,     riparian rzas, cts         Kovalchik 1987
    Fremont & Winema NFs    

rzas = riparian zone associations
cts = community types

VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Salix lemmonii | Lemmons Willow 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Willows (Salix spp.) in general are a preferred food of moose and
beaver; Lemmons willow occurs in riparian habitats which these animals
frequent [4,25].  Lemmons willow also provides browse for deer and elk
[12].  Information regarding the importance of Lemmon willow to
livestock is lacking.


PALATABILITY : 
In the West, willows in general are considered to be more palatable to
sheep than to cattle, but cattle may make greater use of willows because
they tend to frequent riparian areas [24].


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


COVER VALUE : 
Lemmons willow provides cover for mammals and songbirds, and provides
shade for salmonids [12].


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Cuttings of Lemmons willow can be used to revegetate disturbed riparian
areas.  Cuttings quickly stabilize disturbed alluvium, allowing other
plants to become established.  Unrooted willow stem cuttings (slips)
should be planted on sites that provide sufficient moisture to start and
maintain growth throughout the growing season [26].  Since willows are
sensitive to both competition and shading, dense tall grasses will
reduce transplant survival [20] and may need to be removed by cutting or
by herbicide application [16].  Although harder to plant, rooted stock
is recommended for use because it has higher survival rates [20,26].
Prerooting can be accomplished by growing cuttings under greenhouse
conditions, allowing roots to grow 0.8 to 1.2 inches (2-3 cm) in length
[20].  Slips should be obtained from local native stands.  They should
be 12 to 20 inches (30-50 cm) long and taken in the spring from dormant
2- to 4-year-old wood greater than 0.4 inch (1 cm) in diameter [20].  A
20-inch (50 cm) cutting should be planted to a depth of 12 inches (30
cm), with 8 inches (20 cm) left aboveground [20].  This deep planting
allows for more rooting surface to extract soil moisture, and higher
amounts of carbohydrates as stored food reserves [20,26].  If serious
streambank erosion has resulted in a nearly vertical cut bank, slope
reshaping may be necessary to enhance success of transplants.  Reshaping
may not be necessary if, through protective measures, existing
vegetation is able to stabilize the site [20,26].  Under any method of
revegetation, sites should be fenced to protect them from grazing and
trampling.


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
All willows produce salicin, which chemically is closely related to
acetylsalicylic acid, commonly known as aspirin.  This is probably why
Native Americans used various preparations from willows to treat
toothache, stomach ache, diarrhea, dysentery, and dandruff [6].  Native
Americans also used the stems for basketry and bow making, and the bark
for tea and fabric making [4].

Lemmons willow has been used in landscape plantings for the past 30
years in the Tahoe Basin of California and Nevada [2].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Many Lemmons willow communities in Oregon have a long history of overuse
by cattle.  Plants in these disturbed stands experience loss of vigor,
as shown by uneven stem age distribution, highlining, clubbing, or dead
clumps.  If rested for 5 to 6 years, new shoots may grow 5 to 8 feet
feet (1.5-2.4 m) tall and be more resistant to damage from browsing
[12].  Herbage production in these stands can be doubled if stands are
rested for 2 to 3 years.

BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Salix lemmonii | Lemmons Willow 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Lemmons willow is a deciduous shrub with numerous slender crooked stems
arising in a loose basal cluster.  It is usually about 3 to 10 feet (1-3
m) tall but may grow up to 16 feet (5 m) tall [6,7,18].  Leaves are
alternate, simple, pinnately veined, entire or inconspicuously toothed,
green shiny above and pale glaucous below [6,7].  Male and female
flowers occur on separate plants in catkins.  Staminate catkins are
0.4-0.6 inch (1-1.5 cm) long, on occur on leafy flowering branchlets up
to 0.2 inch (5 mm) in length.  Pistillate catkins are 0.4 to 1.6 inches
(1-4 cm) long, on leafy flowering branchlets up to 0.4 inch (1 cm) long
[6,7].  The capsules are pubescent.


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Undisturbed State:  Phanerophyte (microphanerophyte)
   Undisturbed State:  Phanerophyte (nanophanerophyte)
   Burned or Clipped State:  Hemicryptophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Sexual:  Lemmons willow reproduces primarily through the dispersal of
thousands of small seeds.  Like other willows, it probably relies
heavily on insect pollination, especially from bees.  After
fertilization, a capsule develops which eventually splits open during
spring or summer, dispersing the numerous tiny seeds [5].  The
production of large quantities of seeds ensures that some will fall on
favorable sites.  Seeds have a cottony down, which allows them to float
long distances in wind or water.  Seeds are not dormant and remain
viable for only a few days.  They germinate rapidly, usually within 12
to 24 hours of dispersal if a moist seedbed is reached [5].  The seeds
contain significant amounts of chlorophyll, and photosynthesis generally
occurs as soon as the seed is moistened.

Vegetative:  Lemmons is unable to produce suckers form lateral roots but
will resprout from its root crown or stem base after fire or cutting
[1,10,12].  Regeneration may also occur through broken pieces of stems
or roots, which are transported and deposited by floodwaters, and later
sprout [27].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Lemmons willow is a riparian species; it grows near streams and rivers
on low gradient floodplains.  In Idaho, it inhabits relatively dry
portions of riparian zones [6].

Soils:  In Idaho it is consistently found on well-drained gravelly or
sandy soils, while nearby associated willows grow on wet, fine-textured
or coarse-textured soils near the water table [6].  In Oregon it is
found on deep, fine textured alluvium over subsurface soils of various
textures ranging from silt to silty clay loam [12].

Associates:  Lemmons willow is often found with other willows such as
Geyer willow, Drummond willow (Salix drummondiana), planeleaf willow (S.
planifolia), and wolf willow (S. wolfii).  Bog birch (Betula glandulosa)
and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) are also common [6,12].

Elevation:  Lemmon willow is reported to grow from low-middle to upper
elevations.  Elevational ranges for California and Oregon are presented
below [12,19]:

        from 5,000 to 10,000 feet (1,524-3,048 m) in CA
             4,400 to 6,300 feet (1,341-1,920 m) in OR


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Like many other willows, Lemmon willow is probably an early seral
species.   


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Lemmons willow is a deciduous shrub.  Its catkins emerge with, or
sometimes before the leaves in the spring [7,18].  After fruits ripen,
seeds are dispersed from spring to early summer [5].  It flowers from
May to June in California [18].

FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Salix lemmonii | Lemmons Willow 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Lemmons willow generally sprouts from its root crown or stem base
following fire [10,12,27].  Its numerous wind-dispersed seeds are also
important in revegetating areas following fire [27].


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   survivor species; on-site surviving root crown or caudex
   off-site colonizer; seed carried by wind; postfire years one and two
   off-site colonizer; seed carried by animals or water; postfire yr 1&2

FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Salix lemmonii | Lemmons Willow 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Most fires kill only aboveground plant parts.  However, severe fires can
completely remove organic soil layers, leaving willow roots exposed and
charred and thus eliminating basal sprouting [12,22,27].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Lemmons willow will generally sprout from its root crown or stem base
following fire, althoughhowever sometimes not until the following year
[12,22,27].  It is a prolific seeder, and off-site plants are important
seed sources for revegetating burned areas [27].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
"Quick hot" fires may be used to rejuvenate decadent willows and produce
abundant browse for big game animals [10].  However, it may take 5 or
more years for Lemmon willow plants to attain stem heights and diameters
which are resistant to browsing [12].

REFERENCES
SPECIES: Salix lemmonii | Lemmons Willow 



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Related categories for Species: Salix lemmonii | Lemmons Willow