Salicaceae:

The family Salicaceae contains members that have alternate, deciduous leaves with flowers that are concentrated in catkins.  The flowers have no petals or sepals but have a small bract below it.  The flowers soon develope into the fluffy "pussy-willow" branches.

Classification

There are about 400 species in the famil including willows and poplars. Recently, the family has undergone some reorganization in the new APG II system of classification from the Cronquist system, grouping it into the Malpigiales.

Floral Structure