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Are all willows taxa weeds? |
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No. The following willow taxa are currently excluded from the Weeds of National Significance listing:
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Weeping Willows (Salix Babylonica)
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Calodendron Salix x calodendron
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Reichardtii Salix x reichardtii
However this may change as since 1999 when the assessment was done and willow identification techniques have improved and workers in the field have found these taxa have, in certain conditions, hybridised with other taxa in the same sub-genus and these hybrids are very difficult to distinguish. These new hybrids are both male and female and capable of producing viable seed. There is a proposal to develop genetic markers so we can collect samples in the field to identify specific plants taxa with more certainty and then remove the hybrids. But this may prove to be time consuming and so not viable in practice and so these three taxa may be added to the WONS listing. At the same time there has been a review of other taxa on the WONS listing and some of these may be taken off the listing because they do not display weedy characteristics.
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