Plants 0.6–5 m, (sometimes forming clones by stem fragmentation). Stems: branches (sometimes ± brittle at base), yellow-green, gray-brown, red-brown, or violet, usually glaucous, glabrous or sparsely tomentose; branchlets yellowish, yellow-brown, red-brown, or violet, (strongly glaucous or not), glabrous or sparsely to moderately densely pubescent, (buds caprea-type). Leaves: stipules usually absent or rudimentary (rarely foliaceous); petiole convex to flat, or shallowly to deeply grooved adaxially, 2–9 mm, velvety, short-silky, or pubescent adaxially; largest medial blade lorate, narrowly elliptic, or linear, 32–89 × 5.5–14 mm, 3.6–8.4(–11.3) times as long as wide, base cuneate or convex, margins flat or slightly revolute, entire or distantly and shallowly serrulate, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface glaucous, glabrous or densely short- or long-silky, hairs (white, sometimes also ferruginous), straight, adaxial slightly glossy, densely short- or long-silky, especially midrib, to glabrescent, (hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous); proximal blade margins entire or distantly and shallowly serrulate; juvenile blade reddish or yellowish green, densely to sparsely long- or short-silky abaxially, hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous. Catkins flowering (before or) as leaves emerge; staminate globose, (1–1.1–)11–18 × 6–11 mm, flowering branchlet 1–5 mm; pistillate densely to loosely flowered, subglobose to globose, 8–21 × 7–17 mm, flowering branchlet 0.5–8 mm; floral bract tawny or brown (black), 1.2–2.8 mm, apex rounded or acute, abaxially hairy, hairs short, wavy or straight. Staminate flowers: adaxial nectary oblong, ovate, or square, 0.3–0.8(–0.9) mm; filaments distinct, glabrous or hairy on proximal 1/2 or basally; anthers yellow or purple turning yellow, ellipsoid or globose, 0.4–0.5(–0.6) mm. Pistillate flowers: adaxial nectary oblong, square, or ovate, 0.2–1 mm; stipe (0.4–)1–2.8 mm; ovary pyriform (gourd-shaped), beak gradually tapering to styles; ovules 6–12 per ovary; styles 0.1–0.2(–0.6) mm; stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded or pointed tip, 0.2–0.3–0.44 mm. Capsules (3–)4–6 mm. 2n = 38.
