Salix mucronata

Salix mucronata Thunb. subsp. mucronata (Salix subserrata Willd.)

Common names

Safsaf willow, wild willow (English); fisaka, mulunga-wiwa, mupula (Bemba); mosondozi, musuchi (Kunda/Nyanja); mupungabwe, msondozi, mtundu (Nyanja).

General description and distinguishing characteristics

Salix mucronata is a semi-deciduous, small tree or multi-stemmed shrub, up to 7 m tall with open somewhat drooping branches. Bark black-brown, deeply fissured and with raised scales. Leaves simple, alternate lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, up to 12.5 x 2.5 cm. Leaf surface glabrous when mature, sometimes glaucous beneath. Margin entire or toothed. Flowers are long ‘catkins’, and different sexes are borne on different trees. The male infloresences are up to 6 cm long and are yellowish whereas the female are shorter and greenish coloured (March-September). Fruits are yellowish green capsules which split open to release numerous minute seeds (September onwards).

Range and habitat

Salix mucronata occurs throughout Africa and also on the Arabian Peninsular. In the Luangwa Valley it is characteristic of riverine fringe woodland and thicket, and is very common on the banks of the Luangwa and its major tributaries.