The most obvious difference between the two is in the leaves. Among them, the leaves of Cunninghamia lanceolata are spirally arranged, not clustered. The shape is scale, lanceolate or strip, and the shape of leaves on the same tree is almost the same. And the shape of the pine leaf is needle, usually two needles, but also a few of them are three needles and a bunch. They grow in clusters, with small serrations on the edges.
The flowers of Cunninghamia lanceolata are monoecious. Male flowers are small, sometimes solitary and sometimes paniculate, belonging to the genus metasequoia. The female flowers are of the genus Cunninghamia, either terminal or growing at the top of last year's branches. And the male flowers of pine trees grow in the lower part of the new branches, which are usually aggregated. The female flower grows on the top of the new branch. After pollination, it will grow into a cone in the second year.
In addition to this shape, the wood of the two is also different. The growth speed of Chinese fir is fast, especially in the south area, it can produce wood in a short time. Although the wood is light, it has good toughness. The growth rate of pine is relatively slow, and the wood is also harder. It contains turpentine, but also the smell of turpentine
