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Willow family🌿
Salicaceae
ヤナギ科
A family including willows and poplars. Broadly expanded under the APG system to incorporate former Flacourtiaceae and other tropical genera. Commonly found near water and in wetlands; characterized by wind dispersal via cottony seed hairs (willow catkin fluff).
Key Characteristics
- ●Dioecious (willows and poplars)
- ●Catkin inflorescences
- ●Seeds with cottony hairs for wind dispersal
- ●Many species prefer riparian and wetland habitats
Morphological Traits
A family may include species with different trait values — multiple values indicate the range within the family.
Leaf arrangement
Alternate / Opposite
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Parallel / Pinnate
Leaf margin
Dentate / Serrate / Entire / Crenate
Growth form
Shrub / Tree
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Leaf dissection
Dissected / Undivided
Stipules
Present / Absent
Ovary position
Superior
Plant sex
Dioecious
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Malpighiales > Salicaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous to Paleogene
Representative Genera
Related Evolution Events
- ・Acquisition of long-distance wind dispersal via cottony seeds
- ・Adaptation to riparian environments (flexible branches and root systems)