Sect. Albae A. Kerner; sect. Fragiles Koch; sect. Subalba Koidzumi; sect. Subfragiles (Seemen) Nakai.

Trees, rarely shrubs; bark furrowed. Branchlets erect or slightly pendulous, rarely fully pendulous, slender. Leaves mostly lanceolate, abaxially slightly pubescent or glaucescent, margin serrulate, rarely entire, apex acuminate or long acuminate. Flowering coetaneous or slightly precocious. Bracts yellowish, rarely brown. Male flower: glands adaxial and abaxial, stamens 2. Female flower: glands 1 or 2; ovary glabrous or pilose, sessile or shortly stipitate.