I saw an earlier post suggesting that Salix babylonica “tortuosa” might not be a valid name, and should not be used, yet it is included in iNaturalist
(I can’t find it mentioned anywhere in https://powo.science.kew.org/ )
I’m puzzled. I’m not sure how to deal with these.
Should probably flag it for discussion on the species page for that taxon (under Curation tab).
Kew lists it as Salix babylonica f. tortuosa Y. L. Chou
Strange that it doesn’t show up when I try searching for it at Kew
I see quite a few observations for it in Canada, but I’m told the Canadian climate is too cold for Salix babylonica. Is this a contradiction? Does it have a look-alike that Canadian observations of Salix babylonica f. tortuosa should be assigned to?
I went to the Salix babylonica page in Plants of the World Online and then clicked the “accepted infraspecifics” tab.
There are a few other weeping twisted willows like Salix × sepulcralis ‘Erythroflexuosa’ - maybe they’ve been confused with it? I know S. babylonica used to be overrecorded for the hybrid weeping willows (with S. alba and S. x fragilis) here in the UK.
Of the 14 Canadian records I found, all were from right along the border with the US, and either on the West Coast, that I think has a mild climate, or around the Toronto area which is as far south in Canada as you can get, and may also get some urban heat island effect.
In POWO as Salix × pendulina nothof. erythroflexuosa
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77187815-1
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