Abies specimens with 1 centimetre scale ring
Abies Mill. (1754), the fir, contains about 50 species from the northern hemisphere, in the family Pinaceae Ecology and Geography Abies usually grow on good soils in mountain forest, becoming stunted as they approach the top of the treeline. Several species are found in western North America and in China and Japan, fewer in Europe. Isolated species are A. numidica de Lannoy ex Carr., from Mount Babor in Algeria; A. pinsapo Boiss., from near Ronda in southern Spain; and perhaps the most rare, A. nebrodensis (Lojac.) Mattei from Sicily. Abies bracteata (D. Don) A. Poit., from the Santa Lucia mountains along the coast of southern California, has the longest leaves and distinctive long, exserted bracts with globules of resin. Comment These are the finest trees of the Christmas-tree type, and regularly reach 30m in gardens. They are also often planted and harvested for timber. Many are very ornamental; A. koreana Wilson is an attractive dwarf, producing deep blue cones in profusion. Abies concolor (Gordon) Lindl. ex Hildebr. has distinctive, rather sparse foliage, with needles grey on both sides
Size: 4735px × 6850px
Photo credit: © Roger Phillips / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: abies, botanical, bracteata, cephalonica, conifer, delavayi, evergreen, fir, forrestii, gardening, koreana, magnifica, nature, needles, nordmanniana, tree
