Salix aurita L., Eared Willow

Account Summary

Growth form, appearance and preferred habitats

One of the more distinctive shrub willow species of Fermanagh and indeed so in a B & I context, the small, broad, wrinkled, dark green leaves, softly pubescent below, with prominent impressed, net-like nervation and with persistent, ear-like stipules, make this a very readily identifiable much-branched shrub. Howitt & Howitt (1990) warn that the auricles on their own are not a reliable guide. Much better is the always twisted tip of the leaf, a character which is also seen, however, in the hybrid S. aurita makes with S. cinerea subsp. oleifolia (Common Sallow, Rusty Sallow or Sally) (ie S. × multinervis).

The preferred habitats include around lake shores, the margins of upland woods and scrub, on moors, heaths, bogs, cliffs, stream-sides, limestone pavement, quarries and roadsides of the Western Plateau. It is found in both limestone and peaty, acid districts, but much more frequently in the latter. At higher altitudes and in more exposed sites it often becomes considerably dwarfed and care is then needed to distinguish it from S. repens (Creeping Willow).

Fermanagh occurrence

S. aurita ranks as the second most frequently recorded and widespread sallow in Fermanagh, being found in 308 tetrads, 58.3% of those in the VC. It is widely distributed throughout the county, but is very much more frequently recorded around the shores of Upper Lough Erne and is common across much of the Western Plateau.

The Upper Lough Erne and Western Plateau prevalence of S. aurita is very likely in part an artefact reflecting the pattern of intensive surveys made by government field workers prior to conserving sites of scientific interest in these two areas of the county. However, in our view it cannot entirely be attributed to this factor, since throughout its widespread B & I range S. aurita is known to be one of the shrubby willows that generally performs best on upland, acidic, sandy to peaty, unproductive, infertile soils. It can become locally dominant on wet heaths and on the drier margins of fens and peat bogs, including cut-over examples (Meikle 1984; Sommerville 1992).

Hybridisation is the only thing that occasionally blurs the identification of this species, but even when the species do overlap and interbreeding and introgression occurs with the considerably more common sally, S. cinerea subsp. oleifolia, both parent species are generally very much more abundant than their intermediate hybrid, so they can be readily distinguished from it.

British and Irish occurrence

S. aurita is widespread and frequent to abundant in suitable acidic soils throughout B & I, including the northern and western Scottish Isles (New Atlas). It is least common in the more populous and most intensively farmed areas of SE England, where habitat loss has been ongoing for almost a century.

Threats

None.

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