General:
Dioecious shrubs, 8-30 cm tall, forming colonies by root shoots; branches decumbent or erect, flexible at base; twigs reddish, very densely hairy.

Leaves:
Alternate, simple, leathery, narrowly oblong to elliptic or egg-shaped, 2.5-6.6 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, lower surface glaucous, smooth or nearly so, upper surface dull, smooth, margin entire to toothed, bases pointed, tips rounded to pointed; leaf stalks without glandular dots at top; stipules absent or rudimentary.

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, smooth; styles 0.3-0.4 mm long.

Fruits:
Capsules which split open to release the seeds, each of which is surrounded by a tuft of hairs; stalks 0-0.6 mm long.

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 aliena Flod.