▁sp ars ely ▁branch ing , ▁u pr ight ▁shr ub ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁ 2 ½ ▁m ▁( 8   ft ) ▁high , ▁which ▁develop s ▁from ▁a ▁single ▁tr unk ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁ 6   cm ▁( 2 ½ ▁in ) ▁thick ▁that ▁is ▁covered ▁by ▁a ▁thin , ▁grey ▁b ark ▁with ▁a ▁smooth ▁surface ▁except ▁for ▁the ▁horizontal ▁strip ing . ▁In ▁older ▁spec im ens , ▁the ▁lower ▁st ems ▁have ▁lost ▁their ▁leaves . ▁Young ▁branches ▁are ▁st iff ly ▁u pr ight , ▁s eld om ly ▁branch ing , ▁sil ky ▁hair y ▁and ▁ 6 – 1 0   mm ▁( 0 . 2 4 – 0 . 4 0   in ) ▁thick , ▁later ▁til ting ▁over . ▁The ▁leaves ▁are ▁set ▁altern ately ▁along ▁the ▁branches , ▁at ▁an ▁up ward ▁angle ▁and ▁over la pping . ▁They ▁lack ▁both ▁st ip ules ▁and ▁leaf ▁stal ks , ▁are ▁broad ly ▁lance - sh aped ▁or ▁elli ptic , ▁ 4 – 5 ½ ▁cm ▁( 1 . 6 – 2 . 2   in ) ▁long ▁and ▁ 1 ¼ – 2 ½ ▁cm ▁( ½ – 1 ▁in ) ▁wide , ▁are ▁sil very ▁in ▁colour ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁dense ▁covering ▁of ▁sil ky ▁hair s , ▁with ▁more ▁or ▁less ▁point y ▁tips , ▁often ▁with ▁three ▁or ▁four ▁re dd ish ▁or ▁am ber - col oured , ▁thick ened ▁teeth ▁closely ▁cro pped .