Trees to 25 m tall; trunk to 60 cm d.b.h. branchlets initially greenish yellow, turning pink or brownish yellow, rarely turning yellow in 2nd year or on drying, usually glaucous, pubescent or glabrous; winter buds conical, usually not resinous, scales usually reflexed, obviously keeled on dorsal sides at base of branchlets. Leaves spreading nearly radially, or ascending on upper side of branchlets, curved laterally on lower side, stout, broadly quadrangular in cross section, 1.2-3.5 cm × 2-3 mm, stomatal lines 5-7 along each surface adaxially and 4-6 along each surface abaxially, apex obtuse or mucronate. Seed cones cylindric, 7-11 × 2-3.5 cm. Seed scales at middle of cones obovate, slightly incurved, ca. 1.8 × 1.5 cm, margin entire or slightly undulate, apex rounded. Seeds obliquely obovoid, ca. 3.5 mm; wing obovate, ca. 9 mm. Pollination Apr-May, seed maturity Sep-Oct.

The uses of the timber are similar to those of Picea asperata.

* Mountains; 1600-3800 m. Gansu, Nei Mongol (Daqing Shan), Ningxia, NE Qinghai (Qilian Shan, around Qinghai Hu)