This week鈥檚 WoW is the听Short-Fruited Willow听(厂补濒颈虫听产谤补肠丑测肠补谤辫补)鈥斕齛 medium-sized shrub that grows in Colorado鈥檚 moist meadows and wetlands of the subalpine and alpine zones (10,000-14,000 feet elevation).听It is widely distributed in the northern latitudes of North听America and southward along the western mountains.听Wetlands dominated by willows are a rich habitat for songbirds, such as white-crowned, fox,听and song sparrows, as well as Wilson鈥檚, yellow, and orange-crowned warblers. Deer and elk like to browse the spring twigs.听听
Willow habitat gives a new word for the week鈥攃arr. A听carr听is a waterlogged wooded terrain that is dominated by shrubs rather than trees. It is part of a temporal ecosystem progression from wetland to forest.听Carrs听typically occur at the uppermost headwaters of our watersheds, serving as natural purifiers听of the water we drink.听The largest willow听carr听in the Front Range is located in Boulder County along the North St.听Vrain听Creek1.听听听
Over thirty species of听厂补濒颈虫听are found in Colorado鈥攖hey are in the same family as cottonwoods (Family=Salicacaea; Genus=Populus). Both groups usually occur in moist habitats, with cottonwoods often being restricted to stream channels, and willows more widely distributed in wetlands, near springs,听as well as听along streams. Another difference between the two genera is Salix is pollinated by bees, while Populus is wind pollinated.听听
The use of the willow听for pain relief goes back thousands of years鈥攊t is the source of our modern aspirin. The effective ingredient from听Salix is听salicin, from which salicylic (sa路luh路si路lik)听
acid was synthesized in the 19th听century. Traces of听saliciylin听were found on 1,300-year-old pottery unearthed in eastern Colorado2.听One might wonder if browsing animals also find some relaxing pleasure in their spring twigs.听
Finally,听you might notice a small, folded envelope in the corner of this botanical specimen. It holds听parts of the plant that are not easily taped or glued to the paper鈥攎ost often seeds.听