E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

General:
Trees, 4-20 m tall, not colonial; branches erect, somewhat brittle at base; twigs yellowish to brown, smooth; bud scale margins free and overlapping.

Leaves:
Alternate, simple; very narrowly elliptic to lance-shaped, 5.5-13 cm long, 2.5-4 cm wide, lower surface glaucous, smooth, upper surface dull, smooth or hairy, margins toothed, bases pointed to rounded, tips tapered or long tapering to a tail-like tip; leaf stalks with or without glandular dots at top, stipules rudimentary or leaflike on vigorous shoots.

Flowers:
Unisexual, lacking sepals and petals; borne in catkins which flower as leaves emerge, the catkins slender, on leafy twigs; floral bracts pale, hairs wavy, female bracts deciduous; stamens 3-7; ovaries 1, smooth; styles 0.2-0.4 mm long.

Fruits:
Capsules which split open to release the seeds, each of which is surrounded by a tuft of hairs; stalks 1.4-3.2 mm long.