Humboldt's willow

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Humboldt's Willow

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Pleiarina humboldtiana

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it falls under the order Malpighiales and the family Salicaceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Salix.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, Salix humboldtiana, exhibits a diverse geographical range spanning across North America and the South Pacific. Within Mexico, its distribution is quite extensive, covering the Central, Northeast, Gulf, and Northwest regions of the country. These various Mexican territories provide the specific habitats necessary for the species to flourish across different climates. Additionally, the plant's reach extends far beyond the mainland to the South-Central Pacific. Specifically, it can be found localized on the island of Tubuaï.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Salix humboldtiana is characterized by its broad adaptability to diverse forest ecosystems and a significant altitudinal distribution. This species can be found inhabiting a variety of forest types, including Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, Floresta Ombrófila (also known as Floresta Pluvial), and Floresta Ombrófila Mista. Its vertical range is remarkably expansive, spanning from sea level (0 m AMSL) up to high-altitude environments reaching a maximum of 3900 m AMSL.

Elevational range max:

3900 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, Floresta Ombrófila (= Floresta Pluvial), Floresta Ombrófila Mista

Life history

The life history of Salix humboldtiaana is characterized by its existence as a perennial species, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons and establish a stable presence within its habitat. As a deciduous plant, it undergoes a seasonal transformation where it sheds its foliage annually, typically in response to changes in temperature or moisture availability, entering a period of dormancy before regenerating new leaves in the subsequent growing season.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Salix humboldtiana is characterized by its stature as a woody tree, exhibiting a robust and self-supporting growth form. This species typically reaches an average plant height of 15 m, though it is capable of growing up to a maximum height of 25 m. As an independent organism, it does not function as a parasite, and it maintains a strictly terrestrial existence, lacking any aquatic, semiaquatic, or epiphytic tendencies. Its structural integrity is defined by its woody nature, allowing it to stand firmly as a self-supporting tree rather than acting as a climber, liana, or vine.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

25 m

Plant height mean:

15 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Salix humboldtiana is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which governs its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency. Morphologically, the plant's foliage displays specific dimensions, with leaves typically measuring between 9 cm and 15 cm in length, while the width of these leaves remains relatively narrow, ranging from a minimum of 0.6 cm to a maximum of 1 cm. Furthermore, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it relies on soil nitrogen availability rather than symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria to meet its nutritional requirements.

Leaf length max:

15 cm

Leaf length min:

9 cm

Leaf width max:

1 cm

Leaf width min:

0.6 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Salix humboldtiana is characterized by a specialized pollination syndrome primarily driven by insects. The species does not exhibit self-fertilization, meaning it relies on cross-pollination to ensure genetic diversity. The seeds produced are notably small, with a minimum mass of 0.00009 g and a maximum mass of 0.002 g, resulting in an average seed mass of approximately 0.001045 g.

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Seed mass max:

0.002 g

Seed mass mean:

0.001045 g

Seed mass min:

9e-05 g

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Activities

Salix humboldtiana has 4 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antipyretic, Antispasmodic, Astringent, Sedative.

Antipyretic

1. Natural product communications

Antispasmodic

1. Natural product communications

Astringent

1. Natural product communications

Sedative

1. Natural product communications

Conditions

Salix humboldtiana has 4 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include antipyretic, antispasmodic, astringent, sedative.

Antipyretic

1. Natural product communications

Antispasmodic

1. Natural product communications

Astringent

1. Natural product communications

Sedative

1. Natural product communications