Small tree with rather smooth trunk, or erect shrub to c. 8 m high, often suckering extensively; branches few. Shoots long, straight, flexible, green or yellowish green, densely hairy at first, later glabrous, lacking striations below bark. Buds white-tomentose. Petiole very short. Lamina 5-18 × 0.5-2 cm, linear to lanceolate, becoming glabrous and dark shining green above, silvery, usually greenish white, sometimes green beneath, ± silky hairy beneath, not bitter to taste; margins entire, often somewhat revolute; apex acuminate. Stipules small. Catkins appearing before or sometimes as lvs emerge, erect or suberect; rachis densely hairy or tomentose. ? catkins 1.5-4.5 cm long, cylindric. Bracts 1.2-3.2 mm long, obovate, or elliptic-obovate, black in upper 1/2-3/4, with long silky hairs, with acute apex. Gland 1 (sometimes 2-3 united), 0.6-1.2-(1.5) mm long, linear. Stamens 2, glabrous. ♀ catkins 2-5 cm long, cylindric; bracts and gland similar to ♂. Ovary sessile or subsessile, white-tomentose. Seed c. 1 mm long, cylindric.