Shrub of 1 m or a small tree up to 20 m, rarely to 35 m tall. Profusely branched with the branches turned upward, often forming a dense umbrella-or dome-shaped crown. Juvenile leaves nearly straight at first on fresh growth, becoming gradually curved forward, up to 17 mm long, strongly keeled on three sides, nearly flat on the axial surface, 0.2 mm wide and 0.1 mm thick, linear-lanceolate, pungent, crowded so that shoots resemble a furry animal's tail. Adult leaves spreading, bent slightly forward but the apiculate tips still directed slightly outward, triangular in cross section, 0.3-0.4 mm wide, 0.2 mm thick, crowded, linear-lanceolate, 5-10 mm. Fertile structures both lateral and terminal. Pollen cones subtended by a cluster of sterile 1-2 mm bracts, the cone 7-10 mm long and 2.5-3 mm diam. Apex of the microsporophyll a lanceolate spur about 1 mm long and 0.3 mm wide at the base. Seed-bearing structure subtended by about a dozen reduced leaves c. 1 mm long, the seed cone itself formed of a similar number of bracts up to 2 mm long and not completely covering the epimatium, often two and occasionally even three seeds which are fully exposed at the apex of the structure. Seeds shiny, dark brown, c. 4 mm long.
Home