Trees to 30 m tall; trunk usually erect; bark at first dull gray, becoming grayish green to grayish white, later dark gray on basal part of trunk, furrowed, rough; crown conical to ovoid-globose, globose, or fastigiate. Lateral branches spreading, pendulous when old; branchlets at first gray tomentose, glabrescent. Buds ovoid, ovoid-globose, or subglobose, tomentulose. Leaves of short branchlets often smaller; petiole laterally flattened, slightly shorter than blade; leaf blade ovate or deltoid-ovate, 7-11 × 6.5-10.5 cm, abaxially tomentose when leaves unfold, glabrescent, adaxially dark green, shiny, base shallowly cordate to cordate or truncate, margin sinuate-dentate, apex acuminate. Long shoots with petiole 3-7 cm, compressed distally; leaf blade broadly ovate or deltoid-ovate, 10-15 × 8-13 cm, abaxially densely tomentose, glabrescent, adaxially dull green, smooth, base cordate or truncate, usually 2(-4)-glandular, margin with deeply coarse or sinuate teeth, apex shortly acuminate. Male catkin 10-14(-20) cm. Male flower: stamens 6-12. Female catkin 4-7 cm, to 14 cm in fruit. Female flower: ovary long ellipsoid; style pink, 2-lobed. Capsule conical or long ovoid, 2-valved. Fl. Mar, fr. Apr-May. 2n = 38*, 40*, 57*.

Used for wood pulp, timber for construction, making farm tools, furniture, and matchwood; also commonly planted along streets and as an ornamental.

* Plains; near sea level to 1500 m. Anhui, Gansu, Hebei, Henan, Jiangsu, S Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang