Plants (0.3-)1-3(-5) m. Stems: branches usually red-brown, sometimes yellow-brown, not to strongly glaucous, glabrous or villous; branchlets yellow-green, yellow-brown, or red-brown, densely villous to pubescent, (buds caprea-type, inner membranaceous bud-scale layer free, separating from outer layer). Leaves: stipules foliaceous, (2-14 mm), apex rounded or acuminate; petiole shallowly grooved, or convex to flat adaxially, 3-14(-20) mm, villous or pilose adaxially; largest medial blade oblong, narrowly elliptic, elliptic, oblanceolate, or obovate, 33-70(-100) × 12-35(-48) mm, 1.6-2.8(-4) times as long as wide, base usually rounded or convex, sometimes subcordate, margins slightly revolute or flat, serrulate, apex acute, acuminate, or convex, abaxial surface glaucous, glabrous or glabrescent, hairs straight, adaxial slightly glossy or dull, glabrous or pilose, midrib pilose; proximal blade margins serrulate or entire; juvenile blade sometimes reddish, densely villous or glabrous abaxially, hairs white. Catkins flowering as leaves emerge; staminate stout, 13-60 × 10-25 mm, flowering branchlet 0-17 mm; pistillate moderately densely flowered, stout, subglobose, or slender, 26-80 × 9-18 mm, flowering branchlet 4-24 mm; floral bract brown or black, 1.6-2.8 mm, apex acute or rounded, abaxially hairy, hairs straight, wavy, or curly. Staminate flowers: adaxial nectary oblong, 0.5-1 mm; filaments distinct, glabrous; anthers yellow, 0.6-1 mm. Pistillate flowers: adaxial nectary oblong or ovate, 0.4-0.8 mm, shorter than or equal to stipe; stipe 0.4-1.5 mm; ovary obclavate or pyriform, glabrous, beak gradually tapering to styles; ovules 18-24 per ovary; styles 0.6-2.5 mm; stigmas slenderly cylindrical, 0.28-0.48-0.72 mm. Capsules 3-8 mm. 2n = 76 (based on putative Salix barclayi × S. barrattiana, see below).
Lake and streamshores, fens, moist to mesic forest openings, subalpine and alpine slopes, glacial moraines; at elevations up to 2,800 metres.
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