S. Demissew (1999) Tiliaceae. Flora of Somalia 2: 2-21
Plants shrubs or trees, up to 8 m tall, sometimes with hanging branches; young branches elongated, somewhat flattened, purplish grey, pubescent, with few or no lenticels. Leaves petiolate; petioles 5-10 mm long; blades elliptic to lanceolate, 4-11 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, lower surfaces greyish and covered with white indumentum,upper surfaes pale green and pubescent or glabrous, bases truncated or rounded to cuneate, margins coarsely and irregularly crenate-serrate, tips acute to acuminate. Inforescences (1-)2-6 together, each 2-35. cm long,, with 3 flowers; peduncles 8-11(-15) mm long; pedicels 4-8 mm long. Sepals linear-oblong, 7-10 mm long; petals yellow, obovate, 5-6 mm long, clawed or not; ovaries 1-celled with 3 ovules; styles with 3 broad sstigma lobes. Fruits unlobed, with thick grey indumentum, 5-6 mm in diameter; stones rugose.
Grewia mollis grows is known from only one location in Somaliland and none in Somalia. The location is a ravine with {istacia and Buxus at 1650 m. The specimen seen was sterile. The species if also known from Ethiopia, and Kenya, west to Senegal and in Yemen.