tire towards the base, slightly serrated in the broader part
towards the point; the point itself usually deflexed; the
upper side flat, or somewhat convex, even, grass-green,
with scattered, deciduous, appressed, silky hairs when
young ; the under side glaucous, with a greater quantity of
such hairs, and somewhat prominent veins. Stipules small
and deciduous, linear or narrowly lanceolate, with a few
glandular teeth. Catkins earlier than the leaves, erect, cylindrical,
scarcely an inch long, on stalks scarcely half their
own length, beset with a few small recurved bracteal leaves.
Flowers closely set, each consisting of a blackish, bearded,
obovate scale, a minute simple nectary, and an ovate-
oblong short-stalked germen, grey with silky hairs, which
overtops the scale by about half its length, and is terminated
by a very short style with two small, thickish, emarginate,
pale stigmas, which soon turn brown. The capsule we have
not seen perfected.
The flowers appear with us early in May.—W. B.