Shrubs, 0.6-3.5 m, (sometimes forming clones by layering). Stems: branches and branchlets red-brown, not to strongly glaucous, glabrous, (buds caprea-type or intermediate). Leaves: stipules rudimentary or foliaceous (often brownish) on early ones, foliaceous or rudimentary on late ones, (ca. 4 mm), apex acute; petiole convex to flat, or shallowly grooved adaxially, 1-3.4-16 mm, glabrous, pilose, or short-silky adaxially; largest medial blade (amphistomatous), narrowly elliptic, elliptic, oblanceolate, or obovate, 15-29-65 × 3.5-8.8-18 mm, 2.3-3.3-4.4 times as long as wide, base cuneate or convex, margins strongly to slightly revolute, entire, or very shallowly serrulate or shallowly serrulate-crenulate, apex acute, acuminate, or convex, abaxial surface glaucous, sparsely long-silky to glabrescent, hairs (ferruginous), straight, adaxial highly glossy, glabrous or sparsely short-silky (hairs white, sometimes also ferruginous); proximal blade margins entire; juvenile blade yellowish green or sometimes reddish, sparsely long-silky abaxially, hairs white and ferruginous. Catkins flowering before leaves emerge; staminate stout, 14-35 × 12-16 mm, flowering branchlet 0 mm; pistillate densely flowered, stout, 17-51 × 10-13-22 mm, flowering branchlet 0-4 mm; floral bract brown, black, or bicolor, 1-3.7 mm, apex acute to acuminate or rounded, abaxially hairy, hairs long, straight. Staminate flowers: adaxial nectary oblong, 0.8-1.1 mm; filaments distinct, glabrous or hairy basally; anthers purple turning yellow, ellipsoid, 0.4-0.7 mm. Pistillate flowers: adaxial nectary oblong or flask-shaped, 0.6-1.1 mm, equal to or shorter than stipe; stipe 0.2-1 mm (-1.4 mm in cultivation); ovary pyriform, long-silky, beak gradually tapering to styles; ovules 12-16 per ovary; styles 0.6-1.2 mm; stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded tip, or slenderly cylindrical, 0.44-0.55-0.75 mm. Capsules 3.6-5 mm.
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