least willow

Noun

least willow (uncountable)

1. Salix herbacea, a tiny creeping shrub widely distributed in alpine and Arctic environments.
   • The leaves of the least willow (S. herbacea), soaked in water, are employed in Iceland for tanning leather.1848, Cuthbert William Johnson, The Farmer's Encyclopædia, page 1142
   • The species that characterize the heathland are wooly willow (Salix lanata), broadleaved willow (Salix callicorpea) and least willow (Salix herbacea), especially wooly willow.2000, Geothermal Training in Iceland, page 95

   Synonyms:

   dwarf willow

2. Salix rotundifolia, a densely matted shrub growing in tundral regions.
   • Closely related to least willow (Salix rotundifolia) but differs in having large, slightly hairy capsules, abundant skeletonized leaves, and 3-5 pairs of veins on leaves instead of 2-3 pairs in least willow.1972, Agriculture Handbook, number 410, page 90
   • Least willow is found in alpine and arctic tundra in a variety of vegetation types from dry scree to cool, wet slopes.2010, Les Viereck, Alaska Trees and Shrubs, →ISBN, page 143