Shrubs, 1-3 m, (forming clones by layering). Stems: branches yellow-brown, gray-brown, or red-brown, not glaucous, villous in patches to glabrescent; branchlets gray-brown or red-brown, very densely villous. Leaves: stipules foliaceous, apex acute to acuminate; petiole convex to flat adaxially, 5-12 mm, villous or tomentose adaxially, (strongly ventricose around floral buds); largest medial blade (apparently hypostomatous but surfaces obscured by hairs), narrowly oblong, narrowly elliptic, elliptic, or obovate, 36-84 × 19-40 mm, 1.8-3.6 times as long as wide, base convex or cuneate, margins slightly revolute, entire, apex convex or acuminate, abaxial surface very densely woolly-tomentose, hairs wavy, adaxial dull, moderately to very densely, villous-tomentose; proximal blade margins entire; juvenile blade color obscured by hairs, very densely tomentose-woolly abaxially, hairs white. Catkins flowering before leaves emerge; staminate stout, 40-56 × 14-15 mm, flowering branchlet 0 mm; pistillate densely flowered, slender, 35-125(-130 in fruit) mm, flowering branchlet 0 mm; floral bract brown or black, 2-3 mm, apex convex to rounded, abaxially hairy, hairs straight. Staminate flowers: adaxial nectary oblong to narrowly oblong, 0.6-1.5 mm; filaments distinct; anthers yellow, ellipsoid, 0.6-0.7 mm. Pistillate flowers: adaxial nectary oblong or obtriangular, 0.5-1.1 mm; stipe 0-0.3 mm; ovary pyriform, beak gradually tapering to styles; ovules 12-14 per ovary; styles 1.2-2.2 mm; stigmas 0.52-0.75-1 mm. Capsules 4-7 mm. 2n = 38.
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