Trees to 10 m tall; bark grayish white to gray, furrowed. Branchlets russet to brown, angled, pubescent. Buds dark russet, conical, ca. 1 cm, viscid. Petiole 1-3.5 cm, pilose; leaf blade rhombic-elliptic or long elliptic-lanceolate, rarely ovate, broadest at or below middle, 3-9 × 1-5 cm, abaxially yellowish, adaxially green, base cuneate or broadly cuneate, margin densely glandular serrulate, revolute, apex acute or acuminate.

Similar to Populus simonii, but branchlets and petioles pilose; leaf blade rhombic-elliptic, veins pilose, margin revolute, glandular serrulate.

* Meadows by rivers; circa 3500 m. W Sichuan