Shrubs. Branches fastigiate; branchlets dirty colored, densely thin tomentose, glabrescent. Buds chestnut colored, ovate, subglabrous. Petiole 4-6 mm, tomentose; leaf blade elliptic-lanceolate, elliptic, or obovate-oblong, 3.5-5.5 × 1.5-2 cm, to 9 cm on shoots, leathery, abaxially subglabrous, grayish or slightly pruinose, tomentose or with yellowish brown hairs along veins when young, adaxially green or dull green, glabrous except at base of midvein, base narrowly rounded, margin denticulate, apex acute or shortly acuminate. Male catkin cylindric, 3-3.5 cm. Male flower: adaxial gland oblong, apex retuse, abaxial gland smaller; stamens 2, distinct, 3-4 mm; filaments villous proximally; anthers yellow, subglobose. Female catkin to 6 cm; peduncle 0.5-1.5 cm, with 2-4 leaflets; bracts brown, suborbicular, ca. 1 mm, adaxially and marginally villous. Female flower: adaxial gland oblong or ovate; ovary ovoid, distally attenuate, glabrous, sessile; style conspicuous, 2-parted; stigma short, 2-cleft. Capsule subconical, ca. 4 mm. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Aug-Sep.

Similar to Salix cathayana but branchlets and abaxial leaf surface tomentose; anthesis later; male flower with adaxial and abaxial glands.

* Mountain slopes; 1000-1500 m. N Guangxi, Guizhou, W Hubei, Hunan, SE Sichuan, NE Yunnan