Shrubs, spreading to densely compact, (2–)3–30(–60) dm. Stems 1–10+, erect to arching; bark gray, ?exfoliating, periderm reddish to nearly black?; shoots 3 types: long ?strongly angled or pleated 1st year?, short, and water-sprout; glabrous, glabrate, downy, canescent, or pilose-tomentose. Leaves deciduous, cauline, alternate, ?dimorphic with shoot type, those of short shoots in fascicles of 3–8?, simple; petiole absent or present, ?distinct, sometimes obscured by decurrent leaf base?; blade ± ovate, rhombic, trullate to broadly trullate, broadly obovate, or obtrullate, 1–10 cm, membranaceous to chartaceous, sometimes coriaceous, margins flat, usually serrate, sometimes doubly serrate, venation pinnate, simple craspedodromous, abaxial surface glabrous, glabrate, pilose to villous, tomentose, or sericeous, ?sometimes sessile-or stipitate-glandular, granular deposits present or absent?, adaxial glabrous, glabrate, puberulent, pubescent, short-hirsute, velutinous, villous, ?sessile-or stipitate-glandular or eglandular?. Inflorescences terminal ?on long shoots, erect or pendulous?, 10–100+-flowered, panicles, glabrate, puberulent, villous, or tomentose ?hairs golden, tan, or white, stipitate-or sessile-glandular or absent?; bracts absent or subtending inflorescence branches; bracteoles present. Pedicels present. Flowers appearing after leaves, 2–6 mm diam.; epicalyx bractlets 0; hypanthium patelliform to shallowly crateriform, 1.5–5 mm diam.; sepals 5, erect to spreading or slightly reflexed, triangular-to elliptic-ovate or deltate; petals 5, usually white, sometimes pink-tinged, rarely pink, ovate to elliptic; stamens 15–20, equal to or longer than petals, ?with prominent, raised nectar disc proximal to inner rim?, exterior puberulent to tomentose, ?sometimes sessile-glandular?; torus inconspicuous; carpels 5, adnate to hypanthium base, hirsute and hispid, styles terminal, ?stigmas 2-lobed?; ovules 2 (1 aborted). Fruits aggregated achenes, 5, laterally flattened, inverted dolabriform, with abaxial edge strongly convex, adaxial straight, 1–1.5 mm, hispid, hirsute, and often sessile-or stipitate-glandular; hypanthium persistent; sepals persistent, erect; styles deciduous or persistent. x = 9.
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Deciduous shrubs or small trees up to 7 m. tall, with simple, short-petiolate, estipulate, dentate leaves, the blades mostly with a long cuneate entire base, the veins ascending and parallel to the cuneate base, impressed on the upper surface, the lower surface often tomentose. Flowers white, 5-merous, in large terminal panicle-like clusters; pistils distinct, 2-ovulate, alternate with the sepals, inserted on center of disk, each forming at maturity an indehiscent 1-seeded dry fruit.
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