Subshrubs small, 5-25 cm, dioecious (perhaps rarely monoecious); woody stems short or absent; branchlets erect or slightly spreading, dark green, prominently furrowed, internodes 1.5-3 cm × 1.2-1.5 mm. Leaves opposite, to 4.5 mm, connate for 1/3-2/3 their length, apex sharply pointed, recurved. Pollen cones borne mainly on distal part of branchlets, solitary or opposite at nodes, sessile or rarely pedunculate (peduncle 0-1 cm); bracts in 1 or 2 pairs, connate for ca. 1/4 their length; staminal column exserted, anthers 6-8, sessile. Seed cones usually solitary, terminal on short, lateral branches arising mainly from proximal part of primary branches, rarely terminal also on longer branches, subsessile or shortly pedunculate, oblong or oblong-ovoid at maturity; bracts in 2 or 3 pairs, apical pair much longer than others and connate for ca. 1/2 their length, red, fleshy, and often pruinose at maturity; integument tube 0.5-1 mm, straight. Seeds 1 or 2, purplish black, 6-8(-10) × 2-3 mm, usually exserted (perhaps rarely concealed by bracts), pruinose, apex acuminate. Pollination May-Jul, seed maturity Aug-Sep. 2n = 14*.
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