Shrubs, 0.5-6 m, (sometimes forming clones by stem fragmen-tation). Stems: branches (highly to ± brittle at base), red-brown, violet or yellow-brown, usually strongly glaucous, glabrescent; branchlets yellow-brown or red-brown, (usually strongly glaucous), glabrous or densely to sparsely pubescent or tomentose, (buds caprea-type). Leaves: stipules absent or rudimentary on early ones, rudimentary, absent, or foliaceous on late ones; petiole convex to flat, or shallowly grooved adaxially, 3-6.3-14 mm, (sometimes dark spherical glands distally), glabrous or pubescent adaxially; largest medial blade linear, lorate, or narrowly elliptic 40-79-123 × 6-12-20 mm, (2.3-)4.2-7.2-11.3 times as long as wide, base convex or cuneate, margins strongly or slightly revolute, entire, sinuate or sometimes crenulate, (glands submarginal or epilaminal), apex acuminate to acute, abaxial surface glaucous (sometimes obscured by hairs), densely villous, short-silky, woolly, or tomentose to glabrescent, hairs (white, sometimes also ferruginous), straight or wavy, adaxial slightly to highly glossy, glabrous, sparsely villous or pubescent (hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous); proximal blade margins entire; juvenile blade reddish or yellowish green, densely tomentose, short-silky, pubescent, or glabrous abaxially, hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous. Catkins flowering before leaves emerge; staminate stout, 20-39 × 7-20 mm, flowering branchlet 0-2 mm; pistillate densely flowered, slender, stout, or subglobose, 19-65(-80 in fruit) × 7-17 mm, flowering branchlet 0-7 mm; floral bract tawny, brown, or black, 1-2.6 mm, apex acute, convex, or rounded, abaxially hairy, hairs straight. Staminate flowers: adaxial nectary oblong or narrowly oblong, 0.6-1 mm; filaments distinct, glabrous or hairy basally; anthers purple turning yellow, ellipsoid, 0.4-0.6 mm. Pistillate flowers: adaxial nectary oblong to depressed-ovate, 0.3-1 mm, shorter than or equal to stipe; stipe 0.5-1.1 mm; ovary pyriform, short-silky, beak sometimes slightly bulged below styles; ovules 10-18 per ovary; styles 0.6-1.5 mm; stigmas slenderly cylindrical, 0.4-0.55-0.76 mm. Capsules 3.5-6.5 mm. 2n = 38.
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