Trees to 60m; trunk to 1.9m diam.; crown somewhat spirelike. Bark gray, thin, smooth, with age thickening and breaking into deep longitudinal furrows ('corky'), which may reveal inner yellow-caramel periderm. Branches diverging from trunk at right angles, or slightly drooping; twigs mostly opposite, yellow-green, pubescent or glabrous. Buds exposed, tan, globose, resinous, moderately large, apex rounded; basal scales short, broad, equilaterally triangular, sparsely pubescent, not resinous, margins entire, apex sharp-pointed. Leaves 2--6cm ´ 2--3mm, mostly 2-ranked, flexible, proximal portion ± straight; cross section flat, grooved adaxially; odor pungent, pinelike; abaxial surface glaucous or not, with 5--8 stomatal rows on each side of midrib; adaxial surface light green, not glaucous, with ca. (5--)7(--9) stomatal rows at midleaf, these fewer toward leaf apex; apex weakly notched; resin canals small, near margins and abaxial epidermal layer. Seed cones cylindric, 8--9 ´ 4--4.5cm, olive-green, turning to yellowish brown, then darker brown, sessile, apex round; scales ca. 2.5--3 ´ 2.8--3.8cm, pubescent; bracts included. Seeds 8--12 ´ 3mm, body dull brown; wing about twice as long as body, brown with rosy tinge; cotyledons 5--9.

Mixed coniferous forests; 900--2300m; Calif., Nev.