Shrubs or trees, 8–15 m. Stems: branches brownish, not glau-cous, pubescent to glabrescent, (peeled wood smooth or striate, striae sparse, to 6 mm); branchlets yellow-brown or gray-brown, sparsely to densely villous, velvety, or pubescent. Leaves: stipules rudi-mentary on early ones, foliaceous on late ones, apex acute or convex; petiole convex to flat adaxially, 7–25 mm, tomentose to glabrescent adaxially; largest medial blade narrowly elliptic, broadly elliptic, oblanceolate, obovate, or broadly oblong, 50–130 × 25–80 mm, 2–3 times as long as wide, base cuneate or convex, margins slightly revolute, entire, crenate, or sinuate, (glands submarginal or epilaminal), apex acuminate or convex, abaxial surface glaucous, sparsely tomentose or pubescent, hairs erect, wavy, adaxial dull or slightly glossy, sparsely pubescent; proximal blade margins entire; juvenile blade green, densely tomentose abaxially, hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous. Catkins flowering before leaves emerge; staminate subglobose or globose, 16–39 × 12–30 mm, flowering branchlet 0–3 mm; pistillate densely flowered, stout or subglobose, 27–64 × 10–25 mm, flowering branchlet 0–7 mm; floral bract dark brown or black, 2–4 mm, apex acute or rounded, abaxially hairy, hairs (white), straight. Staminate flowers: adaxial nectary oblong or square, 0.4–0.7 mm; filaments distinct, glabrous; anthers yellow, ellipsoid or shortly cylindrical, 0.7–1.1 mm. Pistillate flowers: adaxial nectary oblong, narrowly oblong, or square, 0.4–0.9 mm, shorter than stipe; stipe 2–2.5 mm; ovary pyriform, densely short-silky, beak gradually tapering to styles; ovules 12–14 per ovary; styles 0.3–0.6 mm; stigmas slenderly cylindrical, 0.4–0.55–0.6 mm. Capsules 6–12 mm. 2n = 38.
