Leaves not flattened, needle‑like. Trees up to 30 m tall. Bark silvery‑grey brown, cracking and peeling transversely. Branches short. Whorls of up to 5 branches, 0.8‑2 m apart, sometimes less. Leaves dimorphic‑those on the lower or sapling shoots 15‑17 mm long, spikelike; those on the uppershoots shorter and slightly curved, needle‑like. Female cones 8‑10 x 6‑7 cm ovoid. Male cones smaller.