Wright's silktassel Wright's silktassel

Shrubs or trees 1–3(–4) m, branchlets sparsely strigose, glabrescent. Leaves: blade yellowish green, flat, elliptic to broadly elliptic, oblong-elliptic, or elliptic-ovate, (2.5–)3–5.5 × (1–)1.5–3 cm, length 1.2–2.5 times width, margins flat, roughened or muriculate, apex obtuse to acute and mucronulate, abaxial surface glabrous, glabrate, or sparsely strigose, adaxial surface dull, glabrous or glabrate. Aments: staminate 1–2 cm; pistillate loose, internodes 4+ mm, sometimes branched, erect, 2–4 cm; pistillate bracts distinct or connate basally, each usually subtending 1 flower, narrowly lanceolate-ovate to linear-oblanceolate, at least proximal similar in size and shape to distal leaves, strigose. Berries 5–7 mm diam., sparsely strigose, glabrate, not glaucous.

Flowering (Mar–)Apr–Aug. Cliff crevices, bluffs, canyons, among boulders, open slopes, pinyon-pine, and pine-oak woodlands, oak, oak-Nolina-Agave, and evergreen oak-mountain mahogany woodlands; (500–)1300–2500 m; Ariz., N.Mex., Tex.; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora).