Evergreen tree to 40m tall; crown conical when young, becoming roundish. Needle-shaped twigs with few lateral branches, mostly exceeding 10cm long. Leaves scalelike in whorls of 4 at intervals of 0.5�1cm. Flowers minute, unisexual, with male and female flowers in different clusters. Male flowers in simple terminal spikes; female flowers in terminal heads. Fruits in cone-like heads, globose, c. 2.2cm across.