Tree 25-35 m tall. Crown on young trees irregular, on mature trees rounded and open with horizontal to drooping branches. Bark thin, scaly, red-brown, with age becoming thicker, divided by longitudinal fissures into red-brown, scaly plates. Branchlets red-brown, smooth to slightly scaly with decurrent cataphylls. Leaves in fascicles of 3, 10-20 cm long, slender, flexible, mostly erect but occasionally somewhat drooping; margins finely serrate, stomata on all sides; resin canals 1-4, internal, occasionally with one septal or medial; outer walls of the endodermal cells thickened; fibrovascular bundles 2, contiguous but distinct; fascicle sheaths persistent, 8-14 mm long, pale brown. Seed cones long-ovoid, almost symmetrical, 2-4 cm long, reflexed on stout peduncles about 5 mm long; light brown, opening when mature, soon deciduous. Cone scales 5-6 mm wide, flexible, apophysis flat to slightly raised, lightly keeled; umbo slightly raised with a small, early-deciduous prickle. Seeds 3-4 mm long, dark brown, with an articulate wing 5-7 mm long. Wood pale yellow, of good quality