Diamond Willow
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Diamond willow is a type of tree with wood which is transformed into diamond-shaped segments that have alternating colors. '' Salix bebbiana'', the most common, is a species of willow indigenous to Canada and the northern United States, from Alaska and Yukon south to California and Arizona and northeast to Newfoundland and New England. Among common names are beaked willow, long-beaked willow, gray willow, and Bebb's willow. This species is also called red willow by Native Americans according to The Arctic Prairies Appendix E by Ernest Tompson Seton. The diamond shapes can be caused by a
fungus A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...
('' Valsa sordida'' and possibly others).H.J. Lutz, "Observation on 'diamond willow,' with Particular Reference to Its Occurrence in Alaska", The American Midland Naturalist 60(1):176-185, 1958. Diamond willow fungus is known to have medicinal properties and is used for both medical and ceremonial purposes by First Nations; it has been called
"sacred medicine."
Diamond willow is prized by wood carvers and
furniture Furniture refers to objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., Stool (seat), stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (table (furniture), tables), storing items, working, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Furnitur ...
makers for its strong contrasting colors (red and white) and its sculptural irregularity of shape. There are at least six different
species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
that have been identified as being susceptible to diamonding, including '' Salix bebbiana (''the most commonUS Forest Service: ''S. bebbiana''
/ref>) plus '' S. pseudomonticola'', '' S. arbusculoides'', '' S. discolor'', '' S. scouleriana'', and '' S. alaxensis''. The diamonding is usually found with a
branch A branch, also called a ramus in botany, is a stem that grows off from another stem, or when structures like veins in leaves are divided into smaller veins. History and etymology In Old English, there are numerous words for branch, includ ...
at its center or is found in the Y of a tree. Diamonding in willow does not seem to be specific to an area that willows grow in, and where one bunch of willow will have diamonds, the next clump of willows may have none at all. Although diamond willow is often thought of as being a northern phenomenon, of the
boreal forest Taiga or tayga ( ; , ), also known as boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by pinophyta, coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces, and larches. The taiga, or boreal forest, is the world's largest land biome. I ...
, there is mention of diamond willow growing as far south as
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
.


Diamond formation and shape

The tree grows diamond-shaped cankers in response to the fungus. If the branch is relatively small it seems to die very quickly. If the branch is larger, it may continue to grow and the diamond is formed on the branch and the stem. New layers of growth occur further and further away from the site of the fungus. If the tree has been affected in several places close together, then the diamonds run into each other, resulting in pronounced ridges if some sapwood continues to survive. ] The shape of the diamonds seems to vary from one clump of willow to the next, although there may be some general tendencies within a single species. Some stems will form long narrow diamonds; others will be short and wide. All the diamonds on the stems in one clump will usually have similar growth patterns. If the new layers of sapwood do not move back very much each year, then the diamonds will be deep bowl or cleft-shaped. These stems will be able to survive longer than the ones with flat diamonds. The Bark (botany), bark that is left over the top of the diamond changes quite markedly from the bark over the living sapwood. Depending on the species of willow, the living bark is usually smoother and slightly lighter in color. The bark over the diamond typically becomes rougher and somewhat darker. It also becomes tougher and adheres much more to the underlying wood. The sapwood is white to cream in color depending on the species and the location. The heartwood is reddish-brown. This color tends to darken with exposure to light over a number of years. If one stem in a clump of willow is affected, then all of them are likely to be. However, the neighboring clump may be complete without diamonds.
Quaking Aspen ''Populus tremuloides'' is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, one of several species referred to by the common name aspen. It is commonly called quaking aspen,
('' Populus tremuloides'') has been known to bear depressions that resemble diamonding.


Notes


References


Carver's Companion
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diamond Willow Wood Fungal tree pathogens and diseases Salix