Salix lasiandra Benth. subsp. lasiandra

Erect shrubs to 9 m. Current year's branchlets glabrous, 2.8–3.5 mm diameter. Year-old branchlets yellow-brown (UCL74–77), glabrous. Bud scale 5–8 mm long, 1.3–3.5 mm wide, 1.0–2.5 mm deep, narrowly ovoid, 2-angled in the upper half, red-brown (UCL43) to yellow-brown, glabrous. Stipule persistent, 5–7 mm long, kidney shaped. Petiole 10–18 mm long, glabrous, adaxial groove present or absent, glands absent, base not expanded, tinted red. Emerging leaves tinged with orange, with tomentum on upper midvein only. Proximal leaves entire or slightly serrate. Leaf lamina 131–153 mm long, 26–34 mm wide, length to width ratio 4.1–5.1:1, narrowly ovate, not or weakly falcate; base rounded; apex narrowly acute; leaf galls absent; orange rust absent in late summer; margins flat, densely serrulate but teeth small; upper lamina surface smooth, very glossy, dark green, glabrous, stomata absent; lower lamina surface with midvein raised and netted veins visible, distinctly glaucous, glabrous. Catkin emergence coetaneous with leaves, catkin flowers opening sequentially (male) or simultaneously (female). Flowering branch 46–80 mm long with 1–6 reduced leaves. Male catkin 14–69 mm long, 4–10 mm diameter; catkin rachis visible between flowers. Female catkin 26–54 mm long, 4.5–7 mm diameter; catkin rachis not visible between flowers. Flower bracts 2.1–3.0 mm long, 0.96–1.4 mm wide, pale green, channelled, curved, concave; apex obtuse and bitten or toothed, villous hairs dense at the base, sparse on the margins, female bract deciduous. Male nectaries 2, 0.3–0.4 mm long and wide, yellow or yellow-green. Stamens 2–5, filaments free, filament hairs present dense at base; anthers 0.80–0.90 mm long, yellow. Female nectary 1, 0.4–0.8 mm long, 0.5–0.6 mm wide, yellow; ovary 2.0–2.5 mm long, glabrous, longer than the flower bract; stipe 0.8–1.0 mm long; style and style arms hyaline or pale yellow.

Salix lasiandra is related to S. pentandra and shares features such as 3–6 stamens per flower but the leaves are narrower (26–34 mm wide, cf. 41–79 mm wide in S. pentandra). Leaves are very narrowly oblong-ovate, apices narrowly acute, base rounded, and are free from sawfly galls; the marginal serrations are dense but small, and the margin is finely revolute. The leaves are glossy and dark green without stomata above. The leaf underside is obviously glaucous. Both surfaces are glabrous in mature leaves; tomentum is lost very quickly from the juvenile leaves. Stipules are persistent, kidney-shaped and entire. Very young leaves are moderately densely tomentose all over, but the hairs are quickly lost. Current year's branchlets are dark red, and the leaf petioles are also red. The smallest catkin leaves have pale brown hairs, obvious only when in tufts at the leaf base or apex. The flower bract appears bitten at the apex.

Most similar to Salix lasiolepis in leaf size, glossiness of the upper surface and obviously glaucous lower surface, the lack of hairs on all surfaces, the persistent stipules that are obvious. Leaves are narrowly ovate rather than narrowly elliptical or obovate. Leaf margins are plane and serrulate, with small teeth, while in S. lasiolepis they are usually finely revolute and entire. Stipules in S. lasiandra are kidney-shaped, not ovate. Leaves are about the same size and shape as those of S. ×fragilis (very narrowly oblong-ovate, apices narrowly acute, base rounded), but are free from sawfly galls, and the marginal serrations project less. The leaves are much darker green and glossier on the upper leaf surface than for S. ×fragilis​​​​​​.

First collection: CHR 644884, D. Glenny, L. Newstrom-Lloyd & T. Jones, 8 February 2017, Aokautere.

First publication: This publication.

Flowering: Mid-September–late September.

Tetraploid, 2n = 76 (CCDB based on two counts). Flow cytometry using PN747 suggests this clone in New Zealand is most likely diploid. No explanation for this can be given.