Trees to 3 m tall. Branchlets dark brownish purple, at first tomentose, becoming subglabrous. Petiole 4-8 mm, pubescent; leaf blade obovate-oblong, 5-9 × 2.4-3.8 cm, both surfaces tomentose when young, abaxially grayish green, glabrous or sparsely pilose, adaxially green, pilose, base broadly cuneate, margin entire, apex acute or obtuse. Flowering coetaneous. Male catkin unknown. Female catkin 3.5-5 cm, to 6-6.5 cm in fruit; peduncle 1.5-1.8 cm, with 2 or 3 normal leaflets; rachis villous or tomentose; bracts ovate-oblong or long ovate, nearly as long as ovary, ciliate. Female flower: adaxial gland ovate-square, ca. 1/4 as long as bracts; ovary conical-ovoid, glabrous,

sessile; style nearly as long as ovary, 2-cleft; stigma short, 2-lobed. Capsule ca. 4 mm, glabrous. Fl. beginning of Jul, fr. middle to end of Jul.

Similar to Salix magnifica var. apatela but young branchlets, leaf blade, and petiole tomentose; bracts ovate-oblong or long ovate, long pubescent abaxially and at margin; style long, 2-parted. A. K. Skvortsov indicates that S. medogensis closely resembles S. ernestii and might be referred to sect. Psilostigmatae.

* Mixed woods; 3600-3900 m. E Xizang.