The gymnosperm Database states: "A narrowly pyramidal tree 25-35 m tall, to 210 cm in girth, with ascending branches. Bark ash-grey, smooth, becoming deeply fissured into scaly plates. Branchlets smooth, reddish yellow-grey to olive-brown, with scattered pubescence. Buds ovoid, non-resinous, chestnut-brown, scales keeled and free at the tips, 1-1.8 mm in diameter. Needles spreading upwards and forwards, or 2-ranked with a V-like parting, linear, dark green above, whitish green below, with 2-3 short lines of stomata above, in 6-7 lines below in narrow bands; 20-40 mm long by 1.5-3 mm wide, apex entire or slightly bifid. Female cone cylindrical, reddish brown, 15-30 cm long by 4-6 cm wide, apex bluntly pointed; scales fan-shaped, bracts hidden, 1/4-1/2 height of the scale, mucronate. Seeds reddish-brown, wing obovoid, to 2 cm long" (Silba 1986). Range E Turkey: Antitaurus Mtns.; N Syria; Lebanon; at 1000-2100 m elevation (Silba 1986). Subspecies isaurica endemic to Turkey: the Isaurian Taurus (Conifer Specialist Group 1998).