Growth form: tree
Crown: Flat, very spreading
Bark: Cracked, scaly
Leaves: Paired, 8–15 cm, spreading, thin, green, persistent sheath
Male catkins: Oblong, yellowish, ~1 cm
Cones: Very large, ovoid-obtuse or subglobose, 8–15 × 8–10 cm, glossy reddish-brown, subsessile, reflexed or horizontal; large scales, rhomboid shield, convex-pyramidal, 5–6 radiating ridges, obtuse umbilicus
Seeds: Very large (10–20 mm), dull, woody coat, very short deciduous wing
Blooming period: April–May