Trees to 50 m tall; trunk to 2.5 m d.b.h.; bark dull gray or brown-gray, breaking into thick, irregular plates; crown pyramidal; branchlets initially pale yellow or brownish yellow, finally gray or gray-yellow, often sparsely pubescent, rarely with glandular hairs; winter buds brown, conical, ovoid, or globose, resinous, scales not reflexed, or slightly opening at base of branchlets. Leaves directed forward on upper side of branchlets, spreading on lower side, linear, straight or slightly curved, ± broadly rhombic in cross section or subflattened, 0.6-1.5 cm × 1-1.5 mm, stomatal lines 4-7 along each surface adaxially, 0-4 along each surface abaxially, apex acute or obtuse. Seed cones reddish brown or purple, maturing brown, reddish brown, purplish brown, or dark purple, ovoid-oblong or ovoid-cylindric, 4-12 × 1.7-3.5 cm. Seed scales at middle of cones rhombic-ovate, 1.5-2.6 × 1-1.7 cm, base cuneate, margin denticulate or undulate, apical part narrowed into a triangular or obtusely triangular point. Seeds gray-brown, subovoid, 0.7-1.4 cm including wing; wing pale brown, lustrous, usually with purplish spots, obovate-oblong. Pollination Apr-May, seed maturity Sep-Oct.

Mountains, ravines, river basins; 2500-4100 m. S Qinghai, S and W Sichuan, E Xizang, NW Yunnan [Bhutan]