Pussy Willow

pussy willow: see willow.

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pussy willow

1. a willow tree that produces silvery silky catkins, esp Salix caprea or S. cinerea in Britain or S. discolor in North America

2. any of various similar willows

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Pussy Willow 

the name of some willow species. Most often it is classified as Salix daphnoides or S. acutifolia, which is often also called red willow. Both species are trees or tall shrubs 10-15 m high, with bluish branches and thin, sharp, sawtooth leaves. S. daphnoides grows along mountain streams in Central Europe and on the sands of the Baltic region; S. acutifolia grows along rivers and on the sands of the European part of the USSR and western Kazakhstan. Both species bloom in early spring, before their leaves appear. Their thick white furry catkins (“pussies”) emerge from their coverings long before blooming. They are often planted as decorative plants and to anchor sand. A closely related species, S. rorida, is found in Eastern Siberia and in the Far East.

A. K. SKVORTSOV