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

General:
Dioecious shrubs, 1-7 m tall, not colonial; branches erect, flexible at base; twigs yellow- to red-brown, sparsely to densely hairy.

Leaves:
Alternate, simple, oblong to elliptic, lance- or egg-shaped, 3-11 cm long, 1-5 cm wide, lower surface not glaucous, sparsely long soft-hairy or becoming smooth, hairs white and rust-coloured; upper surface shiny, smooth or midrib moderately hairy, margins toothed or entire, bases wedge-shaped to rounded or heart-shaped, tips pointed to rounded; leaf stalks without glandular dots at top; stipules leaflike or rudimentary.

Flowers:
Unisexual, lacking sepals and petals, borne in catkins which flower as leaves emerge, the catkins stout, on leafy twigs; floral bracts dark to pale, smooth or hairy, hairs wavy or curly; stamens 2; ovaries 1, smooth; styles 0.4-1.6 mm long.

Fruits:
Capsules which split open to release the seeds, each of which is surrounded by a tuft of hairs; stalks 0.8-1.4 mm long.

Notes:
This tetraploid taxon is specifically distinct from the related diploid, S. myrtillifolia. It may be distinguished by its tall growth form, usually hairy leaves, longer styles and its occurrence in upland forests and the shores of lakes and rivers. For a comparison with S. myrtillifolia and S. boothii see Table 2, page 60 of the Illustrated Flora of British Columbia.