General:
Dwarf shrubs, 1-4 cm tall, forming rhizomatous mats; branches erect, flexible at base; twigs yellow- to red-brown, smooth or sparsely hairy.

Leaves:
Alternate, simple, elliptic to broadly elliptic, 6-22 mm long, 4-15 mm wide, lower surface glaucous, smooth, upper surface shiny, smooth, margins entire, bases pointed to rounded, tips pointed, rounded, or notched; leaf stalks without glandular dots at top; stipules absent.

Flowers:
Unisexual, lacking sepals and petals, borne in catkins which flower as leaves emerge, the catkins stout, on leafy twigs; floral bracts pale, smooth; stamens 2; ovaries 1, hairy; 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 0-0.8 mm long.

Notes:
This species was previously treated as a subspecies of S. reticulata, but because the area of overlap between the two is small and evidence of intergradation between them is tenuous, it is now treated a separate species. The catkins are borne on flowering twigs that are as long as normal vegetative twigs.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Salix nivalis var. saximontana (Rydb.) Schneid.
Salix reticulata subsp. nivalis (Hook.) A. L÷ve & D. L÷ve & Kapoor
Salix reticulata var. nana (Hook.) Anderss.
Salix reticulata var. nivalis (Hook.) Anderss.
Salix reticulata var. saximontana (Rydb.) L. Kelso
Salix saximontana Rydb.
Salix venusta Anderss.
Salix vestita var. nana Hook.