Trees to 30 m tall; trunk to 1 m d.b.h.; bark dark gray, flaking; branchlets red- or dark brown, densely rusty brown pubescent; winter buds resinous. Leaves densely arranged, ascending on upper side of branchlets, pectinately arranged on lower side, bright green adaxially, obovate-linear, straight or curved, 1.5-2.5 cm × 2-2.5 mm, resin canals 2, marginal, margin slightly revolute, apex emarginate, rarely acute or obtuse. Seed cones sessile, black at maturity, ovoid-cylindric, 7-11 × 4-5.5 cm. Seed scales flabellate-trapeziform, 1.9-2.1 × 1.8-2.3 cm, margin auriculate laterally near base, broadly rounded, thickened, and incurved distally. Bracts obviously exserted, oblanceolate, 2.3-3 cm × 4-5 mm, apex acuminate or rounded and slightly emarginate, with a lanceolate or abrupt and short cusp. Seeds obliquely ellipsoid, 1-1.2 cm; wing brown, ca. 7 mm. Pollination apr, seed maturity Oct.

A vulnerable species. The timber is used for construction, furniture, and wood pulp. The species is also cultivated for afforestation.

* Mountains; 2500-4200 m. SW Sichuan, SE Xizang, NW Yunnan