Shrub up to 2.5 m, soft-pubescent or velutinous, eglandular throughout. Stems quandrangular when young. Leaves 10-20 x 5-8 cm, cuneate, apically acuminate, darkish green above, whitish canescent below; petiole thick, 1-3 cm. Flowers greenish white to mauve, often gynodioecious. Panicles widespreading. Spikes slender in flower 5-10 cm long, to c. 15 mm wide in fruit. Pedicels c. 0.5 mm or less. Calyx 1-2 mm in flower; teeth enlarging to c. 6 mm and prominently plumose in fruit. Corolla whitish 1.5-2 mm. Nutlets c. 0.5 mm long, obovoid, not trigonous, densely pilose, often only one developing.

Fl. Per.: January-April.

Type: [India], Buchanan-Hamilton (K).

Distribution: Indo-China, Burma, SW China, India, Kashmir, Pakistan.

A very common and widespread species in the lower zones of the Himalayas up to c. 1200 m and reaching its western limits in our area. An unmistakable species. The catkin-like fruiting spikes persist for most of the year; the flowers in contrast are often soon deciduous.