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Some smaller species may also be known by the common names osier and sallow; the latter name is derived from the same root as the Latin salix. Some willows, particularly arctic and alpine species, are very small; the Dwarf Willow (Salix herbacea) rarely exceeds 6 cm in height, though spreading widely across the ground. The Weeping Willow, very widely planted as an ornamental tree, is a cultivar, Salix × sepulcralis 'Chrysocoma', derived from a hybrid between the Chinese Peking Willow and the European White Willow.
A number of willow species were widely planted in Australia in the past, notably as erosion control measures along watercourses. They are now regarded as an invasive weed and many catchment management authorities are removing them to be replaced with native trees [2].. [3]. Uses
The bark of the willow tree has been mentioned in ancient texts from Assyria, Sumer and Egypt as a remedy for aches and fever, and the Greek physician Hippocrates wrote about its medicinal properties in the 5th century BC. Native Americans across the American continent relied on it as a staple of their medical treatments. The active extract of the bark, called salicin, was isolated to its crystalline form in 1828 by Henri Leroux, a French pharmacist, and Raffaele Piria, an Italian chemist, who then succeeded in separating out the acid in its pure state. Salicin is acidic when in a saturated solution in water (pH = 2.4), and is called salicylic acid for that reason. In 1897 Felix Hoffmann created a synthetically altered version of salicin (in his case derived from the Spiraea plant), which caused less digestive upset than pure salicylic acid. The new drug, formally Acetylsalicylic acid, was named aspirin by Hoffmann's employer Bayer AG. This gave rise to the hugely important class of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
See also
External links and references
Template:Commonsar:صفصاف bs:Vrba bg:Върба ca:Salze cs:Vrba da:Pile-slægten de:Weiden (Botanik) el:Ιτιά es:Salix eo:Saliko fr:Saule hr:Vrbe os:Хæрис it:Salix he:ערבה (צמח) la:Salix lt:Gluosnis mk:Врба nl:Wilg ja:ヤナギ no:Salix pl:Wierzba pt:Salgueiro ro:Salcie qu:Sawsi ru:Ива sq:Salix sr:Врба (дрво) fi:Pajut sv:Viden tr:Söğüt uk:Верба yi:ערבה zh:柳树
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