Salix sepulcralis group inheritied from its parent the twisted and contorted branches, as well as being more cold-tolerant, as "S. babylonica" var." matsudana" is native to northern China and Korea. These trees are usually no more than tall. Leaves are finely serrulate, pubescent or silky when young. Ovaries are short and flask-shaped, not much longer than the subtending catkin scale. They are usually intermediate between the parent species, showing the typical weeping willow appearance with leaves that are pale glaucous below. But as an ornamental tree with high diversity, trees may look closer to either parent or different entirely. Salix sepulcralis group The
Salix matsudana female catkins on separate trees. The leaves are narrow, light green, around 4–10 cm long and 1–2 cm broad. The flowers are borne in catkins produced early in the spring The "Flora of China" recognizes three varieties within the species "Salix matsudana:" Many botanists, notably the Russian willow expert Alexei Konstantinovich Skvortsov, treat "Salix matsudana" as a synonym of the Peking willow "Salix babylonica", which, despite its botanical name, is also native to northern China. The only reported difference between the two is that "S. matsudana" has two nectaries in each female flower, whereas "S. babylonica" has only one; however