Shrubs to 1 m tall. Branchlets chestnut colored, glabrous, shiny, tomentulose at first. Buds ovoid, pilose or glabrous. Stipules obliquely ovate, caducous; petiole 2-3 mm, tomentose; leaf blade elliptic or oblong-obovate, 3-5 × 1-2 cm, both surfaces grayish green, glabrous or pilose along midvein abaxially, tomentulose when young, base cuneate, margin remotely shallowly serrulate, apex shortly acuminate; veins conspicuous. Flowering serotinous. Catkins 2-4 × 0.8-1.3 cm; peduncle tomentose, with 3 or 4 leaflets; bracts dull brownish red to black, ovate-elliptic, long pubescent, apex obtuse or acuminate. Male flower: gland adaxial; stamens 2; filaments free, tomentose; anthers yellow, ovoid, apex acute. Female flower: gland adaxial, rectangular, shorter than stipe; ovary long conical, densely tomentose; stipe short; style short; stigma 2-parted. Capsule grayish green, 6-7 mm, tomentose. Fl. Jun, fr. Jul-Aug.

Similar to Salix glauca but branchlets glabrous when mature; leaf blade grayish green on both surfaces, margin remotely dentate. Similar also to S. alatavica but leaf blade uniformly colored on both surfaces, margin remotely and shallowly dentate; bracts dull brownish red to black, apex acute; anthers ovoid; stipe longer than glands; capsule long conical.

* Rock crevices; 2700-2800 m. Xinjiang (Altay Shan)