Size: tree or shrub, 10-40' average height at maturity
Buds: winder bud scales acute at apex, keeled
Leaves: evergreen, spirally arranged, often 2-ranked, often not distinctly 2-ranked, .75-1", linear, flattened, straight or slightly curved, cuspidate tip, dull dark green with 2 tawny yellow bands on underside
Flowers: dioecious, males globose, females look like small stalked conicle buds
Fruit: round juicy red aril surrounding a single brown seed
Bark: handsome reddish brown on older trees, exfoliating in strips
