Trees to 15m; trunk to diam., strongly tapering, twisted; crown rounded, flattened (sheared), or irregular. Bark gray to red-brown, shallowly fissured, with long, flat, irregular ridges. Branches contorted; twigs pale red-brown, aging gray, puberulent, young branches resembling long bottlebrushes because of persistent leaves. Buds ovoid-acuminate, pale red-brown, ca. 1cm, resinous. Leaves 5 per fascicle, upcurved, persisting 10--17 years, (2--)3-- ´ 0.8--1mm, mostly connivent, deep blue-green, with drops and scales of resin, abaxial surface with strong, narrow median groove, adaxial surfaces conspicuously whitened by stomates, margins entire or distantly serrulate, apex conic-acute to conic-subulate; sheath 0.5--1.5cm, scales soon recurving, shed early. Pollen cones ellipsoid, ca. 10mm, bluish to red. Seed cones maturing in 2 years, shedding seeds and falling soon thereafter, spreading, symmetric, lance-cylindric before opening, lance-ovoid to ovoid or cylindric when open, 6--11cm, purple to brown, nearly sessile; apophyses much thickened; umbo central, with triangular base, extended into slender, brittle prickle 4--10mm. Seeds obliquely obovoid; body 5--6mm, gray-brown to near black; wing ca. 10--13mm. 2 n =24.
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A small soft pine. The bark is green and smooth but becomes reddish brown and cracked with age. The needles are in bundles of 5. They are 2-4 cm long. They remain on the tree for up to 20 years. They are curved and dark green. They are tufted towards the tip of the shoot. The seed cones are oval and 4-8 cm long. They are blunt tipped, greyish-brown and without stalks. The scales have a long slender prickle.
Subalpine and alpine regions; at elevations from 2,500-3,400 metres. Trees grow right up to the tree line, where they are no more than gnarled shrubs.
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It is a temperate plant. It can grow on poor soils. It cannot tolerate shade. It suits hardiness zones 4-7.
Can be grown by cuttings, graftings or seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.
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