Trees to 20 m tall; bark dark gray, flaking; branchlets red-brown or brown, darkened or turning dark gray in 2nd or 3rd year, initially puberulent; winter buds globose or obovoid, resinous. Leaves ascending on upper side of branchlets, pectinately arranged in 2 lateral sets on lower side, bright green adaxially, linear, (1.5-)2-3(-4) cm × 2-2.5 mm, stomatal lines in 2 white bands abaxially, resin canals 2, marginal, apex emarginate, rarely acute or obtuse. Seed cones sessile, dark brown-purple or black-brown at maturity, cylindric or shortly so, 7-12 × 3.5-6 cm. Seed scales at middle of cones flabellate-trapeziform, 1.3-2 × 1.3-2.3 cm, margin auriculate laterally. Bracts cuneate-obovate, distal margin broadly rounded, apex with exserted, straight or recurved cusp 4-7 mm. Seeds ca. 1 cm; wing light brown or red-brown, broadly cuneate. Pollination May, seed maturity Oct-Nov.
Montane forests, mainly forming pure stands but with mixed conifers and broadleafed trees especially at the forest margins, growing on grey-brown mountain podzols; at elevations from 2,400-4,300 metres.
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