Deciduous erect shrubs or small trees 3–4 m, with spreading branches; main stems and branches reddish brown, glabrous, younger branches and inflorescences densely yellowish pilose. Stipules linear, caducous. Petiole 5–10 mm, densely yellowish tomentose to glabrescent. Leaves dark green above, yellowish green below, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 32–95 × 14–37 mm, base broadly cuneate, apex mucronate, glabrous on the upper surface ± glabrous below, but ± pilose near the base and on midrib. Flowers many, up to 30 or more in dense corymbose inflorescences, densely yellowish tomentose. Pedicel ± 1 mm. Bracts linear-lanceolate. Hypanthium broadly campanulate. Sepals broadly triangular, ± 1 mm, acute. Petals broadly obovate, white, spreading, pubescent near the base within. Stamens shorter than the petals. Fruit bluish black with a glaucous bloom, ovoid to globose, (5–)6–8(–10) mm in diameter;nutlets 1–2. Chromosome number: 4n=68 (tetraploid, Kroom 1975);apomictic, true from seed (Fryer &Hylmö l.c.)

A widespread species that is extremely variable in its indumentum and size of leaves in its entire range of distribution and consequently treated variously at subspecific ranks by various authorities (see synonymy under this species). C. affinis is very similar to C. bacillaris and Stewart (l.c. 348) believes that the large leaved, densely tomentose plants belong to C. affinis proper while the almost glabrous ones belong to C. bacillaris. C. bacillaris is treated as a distinct species by Fryer &Hylmö [Cotoneasters: 80, 2009] with its area of distribution as India (Utter Pardesh) and Nepal. I have seen material from Kashmir and some specimens from Nepal which are difficult to separate from affinis. I believe the two species are conspecific and the variations in leaf size, shape and indumentum can be attributed to altitude and other ecological factors. All our material is referable to C. affinis.