Willow is very common in central Russia. This woody plant has a rather unusual crown structure and a dull silver color of its leaves. From our article you will find out where it grows, what types of trees exist, and also what willow is.
Meet Willow
Willow is an unpretentious and moisture-loving tree from the willow family. It is found in forests as a secondary breed, but most often grows in moist places - on the banks of rivers and reservoirs. The range of the tree covers the vast expanses of the continents of the Northern Hemisphere, going beyond the Arctic Circle. Some species of willows grow in tropical and subtropical zones.
Usually the height of an adult tree does not exceed 15 meters. Although some species grow up to 30-40 meters in height. The willow crown is wide and beautiful. The branches are thin, flexible; leaves are narrow and elongated. From the outside, the leaves of the tree, as a rule, have a more saturated color. Willows bloom differently, depending on the particular species. Flowers are collected in elongated inflorescences - “earrings”.
Willow is an excellent honey plant, its many fluffy flowers are extremely rich in nectar. From ancient times, all kinds of furniture, baskets and other products have been weaved from flexible tree shoots. Willow bark is actively used in folk medicine. It was from this tree that salicylic acid was first obtained, from where its name comes from (willow in Latin - Salix).
Types of Willows
There are at least 500 species of willows on the planet. Among them there are both full-fledged trees and shrubby forms. In the polar regions and in the highlands, the so-called "dwarf willows" are widespread, the height of which does not exceed 2-3 centimeters.
Four types of willows are most represented on the territory of Russia:
- White (or silver).
- Weeping.
- Goats.
- Breaking.
In Russia, other names for this tree are common: the branches, willow, vine, rakita, sheluga and others.
Ivnyak is ...
In this case, do not draw analogies, for example, with a fir tree. If spruce is called the traditional spruce forest, then willow is a stunted thicket of the plant under study. Also called willow rods (this definition is given by the dictionary of T.F. Efremova).
In biology, you can also find the term studied. In this context, willow is one of the species of fungi from the stropharius family (golden scale). In addition, there are several geographical place names with this word. For example, the village of Ivnyak in the Vologda region or the village of Ivnyaki from the Yaroslavl region.
Willow, by and large, is a weed. Once in moist soil, its seeds germinate as quickly and productively as possible. So willows are formed - dense willow thickets. Most often they can be found on the banks of streams, as well as in marshy areas. Such places, as a rule, attract huge swarms of mosquitoes and other hygrophilous insects.