Trees to 50 m tall; trunk to 1.6 m d.b.h.; bark dark gray, longitudinally fissured, flaking; crown pyramidal; branchlets brown-yellow or grayish yellow initially, turning grayish yellow, gray, or brownish gray in 2nd or 3rd year, slender, pubescent; winter bud scales appressed or keeled at base of branchlets. Leaves pectinately arranged, linear, 1.2-2.7 cm × 2-3 mm, abaxial stomatal bands grayish green, margin entire, apex obtuse, entire or emarginate. Seed cones light green, maturing pale gray-yellow or pale brown, ovoid-globose to cylindric or obovoid-oblong, 1.5-4 × 1.2-2.5 cm. Seed scales at middle of cones densely arranged, square-orbicular, pentagonal-ovate, or compressed orbicular, 0.9-1.2 × 0.8-1.1 cm, apex rounded or nearly truncate. Bracts cuneate-obovate or obtriangular, apex erose. Seeds 7-9 mm including obliquely ovate wing. Pollination Apr, seed maturity Oct.
Forests, especially on steep cliffs; at elevations from 2,300-3,000 metres. Mountains, mixed forests, valleys and river basins; at elevations from 1,000-3,500 metres.
Can be grown by seedlings. Seeds needs stratification.
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