A large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 40-70 m (exceptionally 80 m) tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 2 m. The leaves are needle-like, flattened, 3-6 cm long and 2 mm wide by 0.5 mm thick, glossy dark green above, and with two green-white bands of stomata below, and slightly notched at the tip. The leaf arrangement is spiral on the shoot, but with each leaf variably twisted at the base so they all lie in two more-or-less flat ranks on either side of the shoot. The cones are 6-12 cm long and 3.5-4.5 cm broad, with about 100-150 scales; the scale bracts are short, and hidden in the closed cone.
As a wash for sore and infected eyes and as a gargle for sore throats (gum from bark); in the treatment of stomach problems and TB (root bark or stem); to ease rheumatism or to the chest to treat lung haemorrhages (poultice); in the treatment of colds (leaves)
Health Remedies 
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