Trees or shrubs. Two-year-old branchlets glabrous; juvenile branchlets gray villous. Buds villous. Stipules ovate, elliptic, or semicordate, 4-5 mm, abaxially villous, margin glandular serrate, apex acute; petiole 0.5-1.5 cm, pilose; leaf blade elliptic, ovate-elliptic, or oblong, 3-11 × 2-5.5 cm, abaxially gray or yellowish tomentose, glabrescent, adaxially gray villous, glabrescent except along midvein, base rounded, subcordate, or cuneate, margin glandular serrate, rarely subentire, apex acute, shortly acuminate, or obtuse. Flowering coetaneous. Catkins 4-8 cm × 7-8 mm; peduncle 2-4 cm, villous, with several leaflets; rachis villous; bracts ovate-orbicular, ca. 1 mm, apex rounded, villous. Male flower: adaxial and abaxial glands sublinear, ca. 1 mm. stamens 2; filaments villous proximally. Fruiting catkin to 14 cm. Female flower: adaxial gland oblong, ca. 1 mm; ovary villous, sessile; style conspicuous, 2-cleft; stigma 2-lobed. Capsule ovoid-ellipsoid, 5-6 mm, pilose. Fl. Apr-May, fr. Jun-Aug.