Salix sepulcralis group Salix sepulcralis group The "Salix sepulcralis" group is a cultivar group containing all cultivars of hybrids between "Salix alba" and "Salix babylonica". The "sepulcralis" or × "sepulcralis" trees are sometimes referred to as white weeping willow or glaucous weeping willow in reference to the mixed appearance from the parent species. It was first described by L. Simonkai in 1890 from trees growing in Romania. The group contains both weeping and nonweeping cultivars, though the best-known of its cultivars is 'Chrysocoma', the most widely grown weeping tree.. Some of the cultivars are hybrids of "S. babylonica" var. "matsudana" 'Tortuosa' and have
Salix babylonica to northern China, "Salix matsudana" (Chinese willow), is now included in "Salix babylonica" as a synonym by many botanists, including the Russian willow expert Alexey Skvortsov. The only reported difference between the two species is "S. matsudana" has two nectaries in each female flower, whereas "S. babylonica" has only one; however, this character is variable in many willows (for example, crack willow "[Salix fragilis]" can have either one or two), so even this difference may not be taxonomically significant. "S. babylonica," especially its pendulous-branched ("weeping") form, has been introduced into many other areas, including Europe and the southeastern United States,