Salix matsudana
Common names
tortured willow, twisted willow
Biostatus
Exotic
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Similar taxa
A tree and shrub that is mostly deciduous (Department of Conservation 1996). Leaves are usually alternate, trunks sometimes lying down and rooting at the nodes (Department of Conservation 1996). The leaves are lanceolate or elliptic to oval and sometimes shallowly toothed (Department of Conservation 1996). A plant that produces catkins (Department of Conservation 1996).
Habitat
A tree often found in wet areas adjacent to, or in forest remnants (Porteus 1993). A plant that grows on riverbanks, lakesides, drainage canals and wet places (Department of Conservation 1996). A plant that forms dense stands in rivers and drains (Department of Conservation 1996). A plant that invades communities dominated by native plant species e.g. willow in manuka at Whangamarino (West 1993).
Conservation status
Not applicable
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Salicaceae
Ecology
Year naturalised
1983
Origin
E. Siberia, N. China, Korea
Reason for introduction
Ornamental
Life cycle and dispersal
There are many species in New Zealand but often only represented by a single clone (Department of Conservation 1996). The brittle and easily broken shoots grow extremely easily (ibid.).
Other information
Manaaki Whenua Online Interactive Key
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
SALMAT