An evergreen shrub, erect, dense, to 8 ft (2.5 m) high and wide, may be a small tree 20-30 ft (6-9 m). Leaves opposite, simple, elliptical to oval, 4-6 cm long, leathery, margins entire and slightly wavy and irregularly turned under (revolute), glossy, essentially smooth and dark green above, paler and woolly below; petiole stout, to about 13 mm long, grooved and flattened above. Flowers appear in winter, male and female flowers on separate plants (dioecious), male catkin-like clusters are yellowish to greenish then gray, 8-20 cm long ("silk tassels"), female flower clusters are shorter, 5-9 cm long. Fruit is round, about 6 mm wide, covered with a purplish-gray pubescence. |
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