Salix gordejevii, commonly known as Huangliu, is a shrub belonging to the willow family (Salicaceae) and the Salix genus. It can grow up to 2 meters in height. The bark is grayish-white and does not crack. The twigs are yellow and glossy. The winter buds are elongated and reddish-yellow. The leaves are linear or lanceolate, pale green on the upper surface and lighter underneath. The leaf stalks are without hair, and the stipules are lanceolate with glandular teeth, which often fall early. The flowers bloom before the leaves, arranged in elliptical to short cylindrical inflorescences. The bracts are elongated with blunt tips, and the stamens are separate with yellow elongated anthers. The ovary is elongated-ovate, and the fruit capsule is hairless, pale brownish-yellow. It flowers in April and fruits in May.

Huangliu is distributed in eastern Inner Mongolia and western Liaoning in China, with introductions in northern Gansu. It is also found in Mongolia and grows on shifting sand dunes. Huangliu is a common plant on sand dunes in eastern Inner Mongolia and western Liaoning and is an excellent species for sand fixation. It can be propagated by cuttings.

Morphological characteristics:

Huangliu is a shrub reaching a height of 1-2 meters. The bark is grayish-white and does not crack. The twigs are yellow, hairless, and glossy. The winter buds are hairless, elongated, and reddish-yellow. The leaves are linear or lanceolate, 2-8 centimeters long and 3-6 millimeters wide, with short acuminate tips and wedge-shaped bases. The margins have glandular serrations. The upper surface is pale green, while the lower surface is lighter. The young leaves have short hairs but become hairless when mature. The leaf stalks are 2-3 millimeters long and hairless. The stipules are lanceolate, 3-6 millimeters long, with glandular teeth, and often fall early.

The flowers bloom before the leaves, in elliptical to short cylindrical inflorescences measuring 1.5-2.5 centimeters in length and approximately 7-8 millimeters thick. The inflorescences are sessile, and the bracts are elongated with blunt tips, dark-colored, and covered in gray hairs on both sides. There is one glandular body, located ventrally and approximately 0.5 millimeters long. The flowers have two stamens with separate, hairless filaments and yellow elongated anthers. The ovary is elongated-ovate, sparsely covered in soft hairs, and the stigma is short, with the style nearly equal in length but thicker and deeply divided into four lobes. The fruit capsule is hairless, pale brownish-yellow, approximately 4 millimeters long and 2 millimeters wide. The flowering period is in April, and the fruiting period is in May.

Growth characteristics:

Huangliu is tolerant to cold and heat, resistant to wind and sand, easy to propagate, fast-growing, and can withstand burial by sand. It prefers sunlight and thrives in fixed and semi-fixed sand dunes with higher groundwater levels in grassland areas.

Geographical distribution:

Huangliu is distributed in Jilin, Ningxia, eastern Inner Mongolia, and western Liaoning in China, with introductions in northern Gansu. It is also found in Mongolia and grows on shifting sand dunes.

Main value:

Huangliu has light wood with easy workability, does not deform after drying, and has no specific odor. It is used for construction, pitwood, boxboards, and match splints. The wood has a high fiber content, making it suitable for papermaking and as raw material for artificial cotton. The flexible branches of Huangliu are used for weaving baskets, boxes, and hats. The leaves can be used as feed for animals such as sheep and horses. It is also a source of nectar for bees and is considered a beautiful ornamental tree species. Huangliu is highly valued for its ability to stabilize sandy soils and prevent sand erosion, making it an excellent species for sand fixation.

   

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