Trees to 30 m tall; trunk to 1.2 m d.b.h.; bark gray, with longitudinal, oblong plates or scales; branchlets light brown, turning gray or gray-brown in 2nd or 3rd year, densely light pubescent; winter buds globose, resinous. Leaves pectinately arranged in 2 lateral sets, ascending on main and cone-bearing branchlets, light green adaxially, linear, flattened, (1-)1.5-2.5 (-3) cm × ca. 1.5 mm, stomatal lines in 2 white bands abaxially, resin canals 2, median, apex emarginate sometimes acute on main and cone-bearing branchlets. Seed cones sessile, purple-brown or dark purple at maturity, ovoid-cylindric or cylindric, 4.5-9.5 × 2-3 cm. Seed scales at middle of cones reniform or flabellate-reniform, rarely flabellate-trapeziform, 1-1.5 × 1.4-2.2 cm, exposed part densely pubescent, lateral margins orbicular or auriculate, erose-denticulate. Bracts included or slightly exserted, obovate, 3/5-4/5 as long as or rarely equaling seed scales, apex with cusp ca. 3 mm. Seeds slightly appressed, obovoid-triangular, 4-6 mm; wing brown, cuneate, usually slightly shorter than seeds. Cotyledons 4 or 5. Pollination Apr-May, seed maturity Sep-Oct.
Forests in lower to moderately high montane areas, growing on a variety of well drained mountain soils; it is found at elevations from 500-700 metres in the north of its range, to 2,000 metres in the south.
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