Trees to 50 m tall; trunk to 1 m d.b.h.; bark gray or dark gray, irregularly and thickly scaly; branchlets initially pale yellow or yellowish gray, aging gray, usually glabrous or slightly pubescent on main branchlets and densely pubescent on lateral branchlets. Leaves pectinately arranged, linear, (1.3-)2-2.5(-3) cm × ca. 2 mm, stomatal bands abaxial, whitish or gray-green, base broadly cuneate, apex emarginate. Seed cones pale purple, glaucous, maturing purplish brown, ovoid to ellipsoid- or conical-ovoid, 3.5-8 × 2-4.5 cm. Seed scales at middle of cones semiorbicular, flabellate, or reniform, 2.5-3 × 3.2-4.5 (-5) cm, rusty brown pubescent abaxially, base broadly cuneate or almost truncate, concave at sides. Bracts reflexed, cusp narrowly triangular, ca. 3 mm, apex obtuse. Seeds irregularly brown spotted abaxially, triangular-ovoid, slightly depressed, densely rusty brown pubescent adaxially; wing obliquely ovate or semitrullate. Pollination Apr, seed maturity Oct-Nov.

A vulnerable species. The timber is used for construction, bridge building, furniture, and wood fiber.

* Hills, mountains, evergreen broad-leaved forests; 600-2800 (-3300) m. S Anhui, N Fujian, N Guizhou, W Hubei, NW Hunan, NE Jiangxi, S Shaanxi, SE Sichuan, Taiwan, C and NE Yunnan, Zhejiang