Trees dioecious, to 20 m tall. Trunk to 35 cm d.b.h.; bark grayish brown or grayish black, finely fissured and scaly, pale yellow adaxially. Ultimate branchlets ascending to pendulous, grayish green or glaucous green, rather long, to 1 m, 0.9-1.4 mm in diam.; articles 1-1.8 cm, slightly swollen at apex. Leaves erect but those of new shoots strongly recurved, 12-17 per whorl, narrowly lanceolate. Male inflorescences 1-3 cm. Cones broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, 1.2-2 cm, truncate at both ends; apex of bracteoles broadly acute to obtuse. Samaras 4-6 mm including wing. Fl. Mar-Apr, fr. Jun-Sep. 2n = 18*.

Used for timber.

Cultivated in Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, Zhejiang [native to Australia]