Wavy-leaf silktassel Wavy-leaf silktassel

Shrubs or trees 2–7 m, branchlets short-villous. Leaves: blade grayish to silvery white abaxially, green adaxially, flat to concave-convex, usually elliptic, sometimes oval to ovate-lanceolate, (2–)6–10(–12) × 1.4–7.2 cm, length 1.2–2.6 times width, margins ± undulate, often revolute and appearing crenate or dentate, smooth, apex rounded to obtuse, abaxial surface usually densely, sometimes becoming sparsely, closely tomentose, <hairs curled or crisped, interwoven>, adaxial surface glossy, glabrous. Aments: staminate 8–15 cm; pistillate compact, internodes to 1 mm, unbranched, pendulous, 8–15 cm; pistillate bracts connate proximally into deep cup, at least at proximal nodes each subtending 3 flowers, ovate-triangular, differing in size and shape from leaves, densely silky-villous. Berries 7–11 mm diam., densely tomentose, glabrescent, not glaucous. 2n = 22.

Flowering (Dec–)Jan–Mar. Sea cliffs, sand dunes and hills, sandy riverbanks, gravelly sand, chaparral, closed-cone pine forests; 0–900(–1600) m; Calif., Oreg.

As noted by T. F. Daniel (1993), the fruiting aments of Garrya elliptica are wider (18–28 mm) than those of G. veatchii (13–18 mm); apparent intermediates between the two have been noted in closed-cone pine forests in San Luis Obispo County (F. Hrusa, pers. comm.). In their area of sympatry they differ in habitat.