Trees evergreen; bark longitudinally fissured; crown broad; branches irregular, long; branchlets weakly ridged and grooved with poorly defined pulvini and small, circular leaf scars; short branchlets absent. Leaves spirally and usually ± pectinately arranged, or occasionally almost radially spreading, linear to lanceolate, flattened, midvein raised on both sides, stomatal lines usually all abaxial, in 2 bands separated by midvein, sometimes also a few adaxial lines present, vascular bundle 1, resin canals 2, sublateral, marginal. Pollen cones lateral or terminal, 4-8 in umbellate clusters, arising from a single bud; pollen 2-saccate. Seed cones terminal, solitary, erect, cylindric or conical-cylindric, maturing in 1st year; rachis breaking off near base or slowly disintegrating. Seed scales woody, persistent. Bracts ligulate-spatulate, 1/2-3/5 as long as seed scales, apex cuspidate or 3-lobed. Seeds triangular-oblong, covered on 1 side by wing, together as long as seed scales; wing lustrous, semitrullate or cuneate, leathery-membranous. Cotyledons 2-4. Germination hypogeal. 2n = 24*.

Three to five species: China, Laos, Vietnam; five species (three endemic) in China.