Goat willow

This time of year the hedgerows are full of flowering trees, and the Goat willow Salix caprea, is in my opinion one of the most attractive.
The Goat willow commonly called the Pussy willow  is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers grow on separate trees. Today's blip is the male flower, basically just a mass of stamens developing from the fluffy 'pussy willow' flowers, giving this wonderful fluffy / fuzzey effect. The female flowers are also catkin like, but longer, and consist of the lots of sticky stigma and style. Willow is both wind pollinated  (Anemophily) and insect pollinated (entomorphily, and can reproduce by rooting it's branches as well, it is also an important insect food plant. All in all a very sucessful and useful plant.
I have added a picture of the female flower in my extras.