Plants large shrubs or small trees; branches glabrous with irregular, mainly vertical cracks; young branches hairy. Leaves:petioles 2.5-9 mm long; stipules minute, caducous.blades 5-16 cm long, (5)-7-20 mm wide, linear lanceolate, acute-acuminate, entire or serrulate, lower surfaces pale, silky when young, upper surfaces green and glabrous above. Flowers appearing after the leaves; staminate catkins 1.5-4-(5) cm long, on short leafy shoots; peduncles 8-12 mm long, rachises villous; bracts 1.5-2 mm long, ovate or oblong, tips subacute; stamens 4-6; discs of 2 yellow glands; filaments free, woolly towards base; anthers pale yellow. Pistillate catkins about 2-2.5 cm long, on short leafy shoots; peduncles about 2-3 mm long; rachises villous; bracts1.5-2 mm long, ovate or oblong, tips subacute;discs opposite the bracts, semi-annular, yellow; stipes 2-3 times the length of the glands; ovaries glabrous; styles shorter than 0.5 mm, stigmas 2. Fruiting catkins 2.5-5 cm long; stipes 0.4-1.8 (-2.5) mm long; capsules 3-5.5 mm, ovoid, glabrous.
Flowering February-April in Pakistan.
Bark is reported to be a febrifuge (Kitikar & Basu, Ind. Med. Pl. ed. 2. 3: 2363. 1935)