While ic'tan may refer to a variety of pine trees, on Vulcan it usually describes the most common species called kun`ic'tan.
A coniferous evergreen tree somewhat resembling a stone pine, that can exceed 20 meters in height, but 12–15 meters is more common. It sports an umbrella canopy on a thick trunk with red-brown bark, and needle-like, olive to dark green leaves.
The tree has been cultivated throughout Na'Nam for so long that it has naturalized, and is often considered native beyond its natural range in the Llangon Mountains. A favored ornamental tree in many gardens, the ic'tan has also been cultivated extensively for at least 8000 years for its edible pine nuts.
An ancient relative of the kun`ic'tan is the ral`ic'tan native to Xir'Tan. Its shape is more reminiscent of a Japanese umbrella-pine, and the needles have a distinct turquoise-blue color that is exceedingly rare in Vulcan plant life.