Plants 0.1-2 m. Stems: branches yellow-gray or yellow-brown, pubescent or pilose; branchlets yellow-green or red-brown (darker in age), sparsely to moderately densely pubescent, hairs wavy or geniculate. Leaves: petiole shallowly grooved adaxially, 3-10 mm, pubescent or villous adaxially; largest medial blade very narrowly elliptic to elliptic, or narrowly oblanceolate, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface villous, adaxial densely silky or villous; juvenile blade long-silky abaxially. Catkins: pistillate very densely flowered, stout or subglobose, 8.5-38 × 5-12 mm, flowering branchlet 1-11 mm; floral bract 1-2 mm. Staminate flowers: abaxial nectary 0-0.2 mm, adaxial nectary 0.6-1.1 mm. Pistillate flowers: adaxial nectary oblong, ovate, or flask-shaped, 0.4-1.1 mm, longer than or, rarely, equal to stipe; stipe 0-0.4 mm; ovary pubescent or tomentose, hairs in streaks or patches; ovules 8-16 per ovary; stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded or pointed tip, or slenderly or broadly cylindrical. 2n = unknown.

Flowering early-mid Jun. Sedge meadows along stream and lake margins, drainageways, around springs; 2100-3100 m; Idaho, Mont., Utah, Wyo.