Shrub of 1 m or a small, often gnarled tree, sometimes up to 20 m tall. Densely branched to form a compact oval shape. Juvenile leaves spreading widely but sometimes distinctly curved forward so that the apiculate apex is more or less parallel to the branch, lanceolate, up to 20 mm long, strongly keeled on three sides, nearly flat on the axial surface, up to 0.6 mm wide, 0.3 mm thick. Adult leaves on younger trees nearly straight and up to 8 mm long but with greater age the leaves become shorter and sharply curved forward or even slightly inward, apiculate, linear-lanceolate, 3-6 mm long but nearly uniform on a branch, 0.5-0.6 mm wide, 0.3 mm thick. Fertile structures mostly terminal. Pollen cones with basal leaves hardly different from foliage leaves, 7-9 mm long, 2.5 mm diam. Apex of the microsporophyll a linear-lanceolate spur 1.5-2 by 0.5 mm with the broadly acute apex strongly curved inwards so as to appear rounded and blunt. Seed-bearing structure subtended by a zone of reduced leaves about 2 mm long, the cone bracts longer and partly covering the seed. The brown seeds about 5 mm long.