Hairy gray willow

Description:

Salix glauca var. villosa is a low-growing (mostly under 1 meter at this location), high elevation willow. Here it was occurring in an exposed area on rocky, dry soil in a drainage that is no doubt vernally moist from snowmelt, and growing in thickets. It was not however growing in a riparian zone.The upper side of the leaves are mostly glabrous; undersides are glaucous/tomentulose. Catkins are 2x as long as broad.The plant that is flowering and peeking out from behind one of the catkins and growing on the ground in front of the willow is the alpine clover Trifolium dasyphyllum.Growing with and at the edge of a forest dominated by the Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pine species, Pinus aristata.July 13, 2013, Clear Creek County, Colorado, Mount Goliath Natural Area on the Arapaho National Forest, elev. approx. 11,570 ft.