Firs (''Abies'') are a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of 48–56
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...
conifer
Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...
ous
tree
In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
s in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Pinaceae
The Pinaceae, or pine family, are conifer trees or shrubs, including many of the well-known conifers of commercial importance such as Cedrus, cedars, firs, Tsuga, hemlocks, larches, pines and spruces. The family is included in the order Pinales, ...
. They are found on mountains throughout much of
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
and
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
,
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
,
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
, and
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
. The genus is most closely related to ''
Cedrus
''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, is a genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae (subfamily Abietoideae). They are native plant, native to the mountains of the western Himalayas and the Mediterranean region, occurring at altit ...
'' (cedar).
The genus name is derived from the Latin "to rise" in reference to the height of its species. The common English name originates with the Old Norse, fyri, or the Old Danish, fyr.
They are large trees, reaching heights of tall with trunk diameters of when mature. Firs can be distinguished from other members of the pine family by the way in which their needle-like
leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
are attached singly to the branches with a base resembling a
suction cup
A suction cup, also known as a sucker, is a device or object that uses the negative fluid pressure of air or water to adhere to nonporous surfaces, creating a partial vacuum.
Suction cups are peripheral traits of some animals such as octopuses ...
, and by their
cones
A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex.
A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines conn ...
, which, like those of true cedars, stand upright on the branches like candles and disintegrate at maturity.
Identification of the different species is based on the size and arrangement of the leaves, the size and shape of the cones, and whether the bract scales of the cones are long and exserted, or short and hidden inside the cone.
Description
Leaves
Abies alba PID1015-3.jpg, '' A. alba'' – the underside of leaves have two whitish strips formed by wax
Waxes are a diverse class of organic compounds that are lipophilic, malleable solids near ambient temperatures. They include higher alkanes and lipids, typically with melting points above about 40 °C (104 °F), melting to giv ...
-covered stoma
In botany, a stoma (from Greek ''στόμα'', "mouth", plural "stomata"), also called a stomate (plural "stomates"), is a pore found in the epidermis of leaves, stems, and other organs, that controls the rate of gas exchange. The pore is bor ...
tal bands; the bases of the needles are shaped like suction cups.
Abgragra-top.jpg, '' A. grandis'' foliage – upper side of the leaves
Abies Orjen foliage.jpg, Atypical '' A. alba'' foliage from Dinaric calcareous
Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.
In zoology
''Calcareous'' is used as an adje ...
fir forests on Mt. Orjen
Firs can be distinguished from other members of the pine family by the unique attachment of their needle-like
leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
to the twig by a base that resembles a small
suction cup
A suction cup, also known as a sucker, is a device or object that uses the negative fluid pressure of air or water to adhere to nonporous surfaces, creating a partial vacuum.
Suction cups are peripheral traits of some animals such as octopuses ...
.
The leaves are significantly flattened, sometimes even looking like they are pressed, as in ''
A. sibirica''.
The leaves have two whitish lines on the bottom, each of which is formed by
wax
Waxes are a diverse class of organic compounds that are lipophilic, malleable solids near ambient temperatures. They include higher alkanes and lipids, typically with melting points above about 40 °C (104 °F), melting to giv ...
-covered
stoma
In botany, a stoma (from Greek ''στόμα'', "mouth", plural "stomata"), also called a stomate (plural "stomates"), is a pore found in the epidermis of leaves, stems, and other organs, that controls the rate of gas exchange. The pore is bor ...
tal bands. In most species, the upper surface of the leaves is uniformly green and shiny, without
stoma
In botany, a stoma (from Greek ''στόμα'', "mouth", plural "stomata"), also called a stomate (plural "stomates"), is a pore found in the epidermis of leaves, stems, and other organs, that controls the rate of gas exchange. The pore is bor ...
ta or with a few on the tip, visible as whitish spots. Other species have the upper surface of leaves dull, gray-green or bluish-gray to silvery (
glaucous
''Glaucous'' (, ) is used to describe the pale grey or bluish-green appearance of the surfaces of some plants, as well as in the names of birds, such as the glaucous gull (''Larus hyperboreus''), glaucous-winged gull (''Larus glaucescens''), g ...
), coated by wax with variable number of
stoma
In botany, a stoma (from Greek ''στόμα'', "mouth", plural "stomata"), also called a stomate (plural "stomates"), is a pore found in the epidermis of leaves, stems, and other organs, that controls the rate of gas exchange. The pore is bor ...
tal bands, and not always continuous. An example species with shiny green leaves is ''
A. alba'', and an example species with dull waxy leaves is ''
A. concolor''.
The tips of leaves are usually more or less notched (as in ''
A. firma''), but sometimes rounded or dull (as in ''
A. concolor'', ''
A. magnifica'') or sharp and prickly (as in ''
A. bracteata'', ''
A. cephalonica'', ''
A. holophylla''). The leaves of young plants are usually sharper.
The way they spread from the shoot is very diverse, only in some species comb-shaped, with the leaves arranged on two sides, flat (''
A. alba'')
The upper foliage is different on cone-bearing branches, with the leaves short, curved, and sharp.
Cones
Abies cone & bits.jpg, Intact and disintegrated Bulgarian fir
''Abies borisii-regis'' (Bulgarian fir) is a species of fir native to the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula in Bulgaria, northern Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania and Serbia. It occurs at altitudes of 800–1,800 m, on mounta ...
cones
Abies holophylla Manchurian Fir cones.jpg, Immature cones of some of species or races are green, not purple-bluish: for instance, Manchurian fir
''Abies holophylla'', also called needle fir or Manchurian fir, is a species of fir native to mountainous regions of northern Korea, southern Ussuriland, and China in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning.
It is an evergreen conif ...
.
Manchurian Fir Abies holophylla disintegrating cones.jpg, Disintegrating cones of Manchurian fir
Firs differ from other conifers in having erect, cylindrical
cones
A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex.
A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines conn ...
long that disintegrate at maturity to release the winged
seed
A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...
s.
In contrast to
spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfami ...
s, fir cones do not hang. Even large fir cones grow upwards like "candles", the new growth of the tree.
Mature cones are usually brown, young in summer can be green, for example:
:''
A. grandis'', ''
A. holophylla'', ''
A. nordmanniana''
or purple and blue, sometimes very dark:
:''
A. fraseri'', ''
A. homolepis'' (var. ''umbellata'' green), ''
A. koreana'' ('Flava' green), ''
A. lasiocarpa'', ''
A. nephrolepis'' (f. ''chlorocarpa'' green), ''
A. sibirica'', ''
A. veitchii'' (var. ''olivacea'' green).
Phytochemistry
''Abies'' produce a variety of
terpenoid
The terpenoids, also known as isoprenoids, are a class of naturally occurring organic chemicals derived from the 5-carbon compound isoprene and its derivatives called terpenes, diterpenes, etc. While sometimes used interchangeably with "terpenes" ...
s. The analyses of the Zavarin groupfrom Smedman et al 1969 to Zavarin et al 1977showed variation in terpenoid composition of the bark by genetics, geography, age and size of the tree.
Classification
Section ''Abies''
Section ''Abies'' is found in central, south, and eastern Europe and Asia Minor.
* ''
Abies alba
''Abies alba'', the European silver fir or silver fir, is a fir native to the mountains of Europe, from the Pyrenees north to Normandy, east to the Alps and the Carpathians, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and sou ...
'' – silver fir
* ''
Abies nebrodensis
''Abies nebrodensis'', the Sicilian fir, is a fir native to the Madonie mountains in northern Sicily.
Taxonomy
It is closely related to silver fir, ''Abies alba'', which replaces it in the Apennine Mountains of Italy and elsewhere further nort ...
'' – Sicilian fir
* ''
Abies borisii-regis
''Abies borisii-regis'' (Bulgarian fir) is a species of fir native to the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula in Bulgaria, northern Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania and Serbia. It occurs at altitudes of 800–1,800 m, on mountai ...
'' – Bulgarian fir
* ''
Abies cephalonica
''Abies cephalonica'' or Greek fir is a fir native to the mountains of Greece, primarily in the Peloponnesos and the island of Kefallonia, intergrading with the closely related Bulgarian fir further north in the Pindus mountains of northern Gre ...
'' – Greek fir
* ''
Abies nordmanniana
''Abies nordmanniana'', the Nordmann fir or Caucasian fir, is a fir indigenous to the mountains south and east of the Black Sea, in Turkey, Georgia and the Russian Caucasus. It occurs at altitudes of 900–2,200 m on mountains with pre ...
'' – Nordmann fir or Caucasian fir
**
''Abies nordmanniana'' subsp. ''equi-trojani'' – Kazdağı fir, Turkish fir
* ''
Abies pinsapo
''Abies pinsapo'', the Spanish fir, is a species of tree in the family Pinaceae, native to southern Spain and northern Morocco. Related to other species of Mediterranean firs, it appears at altitudes of in the Sierra de Grazalema in the Provin ...
'' – Spanish fir
** ''Abies pinsapo'' var. ''marocana'' – Moroccan fir
* ''
Abies numidica
''Abies numidica'', the Algerian fir, is a species of fir found only in Algeria, where it is endemic on Djebel Babor, the second-highest mountain (2,004 meters) in the Algerian Tell Atlas.Farjon, A. (1990). ''Pinaceae. Drawings and Description ...
'' – Algerian fir
* ''
Abies cilicica
''Abies cilicica'', also known as Cilician fir or Taurus fir, is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae. It is found in Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey. ''Abies cilicica'' and ''Cedrus libani'', together with Acer hyrcanum, ''Acer hyrcanum'' subs ...
'' – Syrian fir
Section ''Balsamea''
Section ''Balsamea'' is found in northern Asia and North America, and high mountains further south.
* ''
Abies fraseri
The Fraser fir (''Abies fraseri'') is a species of fir native to the Appalachian Mountains of the Southeastern United States.
''Abies fraseri'' is closely related to ''Abies balsamea'' (balsam fir), of which it has occasionally been treated a ...
'' – Fraser fir
* ''
Abies balsamea
''Abies balsamea'' or balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada ( Newfoundland west to central Alberta) and the northeastern United States (Minnesota east to Maine, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to ...
'' – balsam fir
** ''Abies balsamea'' var. ''phanerolepis'' – bracted balsam fir
* ''
Abies lasiocarpa
''Abies lasiocarpa'', the subalpine fir or Rocky Mountain fir, is a western North American fir tree.
Description
''Abies lasiocarpa'' is a medium-sized evergreen conifer with a very narrow conic crown, growing to tall, exceptionally , with a t ...
'' – subalpine fir
** ''Abies lasiocarpa'' var. ''arizonica'' – corkbark fir
** ''Abies lasiocarpa'' var. ''bifolia'' – Rocky Mountains subalpine fir
* ''
Abies sibirica
''Abies sibirica'', the Siberian fir, is a coniferous evergreen tree native to the taiga east of the Volga River and south of 67°40' North latitude in Siberia through Turkestan, northeast Xinjiang, Mongolia and Heilongjiang.
Distribution
The ...
'' – Siberian fir
** ''Abies sibirica'' var. ''semenovii''
* ''
Abies sachalinensis
''Abies sachalinensis'', the Sakhalin fir, is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae. It is found in Sakhalin island and southern Kurils (Russia), and also in northern Hokkaido ( Japan).
The first discovery by a European was by Carl Fri ...
'' – Sakhalin fir
* ''
Abies koreana
''Abies koreana'' ( ko, 구상나무, ''Gusang namu''), the Korean fir, is a species of fir native to the higher mountains of South Korea, including Jeju Island. It grows at altitudes of in temperate rainforest with high rainfall and cool, hu ...
'' – Korean fir
* ''
Abies nephrolepis
''Abies nephrolepis'', commonly known as Khingan fir, is a species of fir native to northeastern China (Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Shaanxi), North Korea, South Korea, and southeastern Russia (Amur Oblast, Jewish Autonomous Oblast, P ...
'' – Khinghan fir
* ''
Abies veitchii
''Abies veitchii'' (Veitch's fir; シラビソ or シラベ shirabiso or shirabe), also known as Veitch's silver-fir, is a fir native to Japan on the islands of Honshū and Shikoku. It lives in moist soils in cool wet mountain forests at elev ...
'' – Veitch's fir
** ''Abies veitchii'' var. ''sikokiana'' – Shikoku fir
Section ''Grandis''
Section ''Grandis'' is found in western North America to Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, in lowlands in the north, moderate altitudes in south.
* ''
Abies grandis
''Abies grandis'' (grand fir, giant fir, lowland white fir, great silver fir, western white fir, Vancouver fir, or Oregon fir) is a fir native to the Pacific Northwest and Northern California of North America, occurring at altitudes of sea leve ...
'' – grand fir or giant fir
** ''Abies grandis'' var. ''grandis'' – Coast grand fir
** ''Abies grandis'' var. ''idahoensis'' – interior grand fir
* ''
Abies concolor
''Abies concolor'', the white fir, is a coniferous tree in the pine family Pinaceae. This tree is native to the mountains of western North America, including the Cascade Range and southern Rocky Mountains, and into the isolated mountain ranges ...
'' – white fir
** ''Abies concolor'' subsp. ''concolor'' – Rocky Mountain white fir or Colorado white fir
** ''Abies concolor'' subsp. ''lowiana'' – Low's white fir or Sierra Nevada white fir
* ''
Abies durangensis'' – Durango fir
** ''Abies durangensis'' var. ''coahuilensis'' – Coahuila fir
* ''
Abies flinckii'' – Jalisco fir
* ''
Abies guatemalensis
''Abies guatemalensis'', the Guatemalan fir or ''pinabete'', is an evergreen tree native to Central America and is the southernmost member of the genus ''Abies'' being spread to the south lower than 14° N. Its range is from southern (less from ...
'' – Guatemalan fir
** ''Abies guatemalensis'' var. ''guatemalensis''
** ''Abies guatemalensis'' var. ''jaliscana''
* ''
Abies vejarii
''Abies vejarii'' is a species of fir native to northeastern Mexico, in the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas, where it grows at high altitudes (2,000–3,300 m) in the Sierra Madre Oriental.Farjon, A. (1990). ''Pinaceae. Drawings a ...
''
Section ''Momi''
Section ''Momi'' is found in east and central Asia and the Himalaya, generally at low to moderate altitudes.
* ''
Abies kawakamii
''Abies kawakamii'' is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae.
It is found only in Taiwan. First described in 1908 by Bunzō Hayata as a variety of '' Abies mariesii'', a high-mountain fir native to Japan; the next year it was elevated to ...
'' – Taiwan fir
* ''
Abies homolepis
''Abies homolepis'', the Nikko fir (in Japanese ウラジロモミ, urajiro-momi) is a fir native to the mountains of central and southern Honshū and Shikoku, Japan. It grows at altitudes of 700–2,200 m, often in temperate rain fores ...
'' – Nikko fir
* ''
Abies recurvata
''Abies recurvata'' is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae. It is found only in China. ''Abies recurvata'' is a distinct fir species usually recognized by the needles on its leaders mostly recurved or reflexed. It occurs in the drier, c ...
'' – Min fir
** ''Abies recurvata'' var. ''ernestii'' – Min fir
* ''
Abies firma
''Abies firma'', the momi fir, is a species of fir native to central and southern Japan, growing at low to moderate altitudes of 50–1600 m.
''Abies firma'' is a medium-sized to large evergreen coniferous tree growing to tall and in trunk d ...
'' – Momi fir
* ''
Abies beshanzuensis
''Abies beshanzuensis'' (Baishanzu fir, Baishan fir) is a species of fir (genus ''Abies'') in the family Pinaceae. It is endemism, endemic to Baishanzu, Mt. Baishanzu in southern Zhejiang province in eastern China, where it grows at altitude and ...
'' – Baishanzu fir
* ''
Abies holophylla
''Abies holophylla'', also called needle fir or Manchurian fir, is a species of fir native to mountainous regions of northern Korea, southern Ussuriland, and China in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning.
It is an evergreen c ...
'' – Manchurian fir
* ''
Abies chensiensis'' – Shensi fir
** ''Abies chensiensis'' subsp. ''salouenensis'' – Salween fir
* ''
Abies pindrow
''Abies pindrow'', the pindrow fir or west Himalayan fir, is a fir native to the western Himalaya and adjacent mountains, from northeast Afghanistan east through northern Pakistan and India to central Nepal.
Description
It is a large e ...
'' – Pindrow fir
* ''
Abies ziyuanensis
''Abies ziyuanensis'' is a species of fir, a conifer in the family Pinaceae. It is only known from four locations in Guangxi and Hunan provinces in China. ''A. ziyuanensis'' is related to ''Abies beshanzuensis
''Abies beshanzuensis'' (Baisha ...
'' – Ziyuan fir
Section ''Amabilis''
Section ''Amabilis'' is found in the Pacific Coast mountains in North America and Japan, in high rainfall areas.
* ''
Abies amabilis
''Abies amabilis'', commonly known as the Pacific silver fir, is a fir native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, occurring in the Pacific Coast Ranges and the Cascade Range. It is also commonly referred to as the white fir, red fir, lov ...
'' – Pacific silver fir
* ''
Abies mariesii'' – Maries' fir
Section ''Pseudopicea''
![Abies fabri in mist](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Abies_fabri_in_mist.jpg)
Section ''Pseudopicea'' is found in the
Sino – Himalayan mountains at high altitudes.
* ''
Abies delavayi
''Abies delavayi'', the Delavay's silver-fir or Delavay's fir, is a species of fir, native to Yunnan in southwest China and adjoining border areas in southeastern Tibet, far northeastern India, northern Myanmar, and far northwestern Vietnam. It ...
'' – Delavay's fir
** ''Abies delavayi'' var. ''nukiangensis''
** ''Abies delavayi'' var. ''motuoensis''
** ''Abies delavayi'' subsp. ''fansipanensis''
* ''
Abies fabri
''Abies fabri'' (Faber's fir) is a conifer species in the family Pinaceae. It is endemic to Sichuan in western China, occurring on the sacred mountain of Emei Shan (from where it was first described) and westward to the Gongga Shan massif, growi ...
'' – Faber's fir
** ''Abies fabri'' subsp. ''minensis''
* ''
Abies forrestii
''Abies forrestii'' is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae, endemism, endemic to China. It is named after the Scottish botanist and plant-hunter George Forrest (botanist), George Forrest (1873–1932), who discovered it for western scienc ...
'' – Forrest's fir
* ''
Abies densa
''Abies densa'', the Bhutan fir, is a conifer species in the family Pinaceae. It is sometimes included in the East Himalayan fir (''A. spectabilis'') as a variety.
Found in Bhutan, China, India, and Nepal, it is not considered a threatened s ...
'' – Bhutan fir
* ''
Abies spectabilis'' – East Himalayan fir
* ''
Abies fargesii
''Abies fargesii'' () is a species of fir, a coniferous tree in the family Pinaceae. Its common name is Farges' fir, after the French missionary, botanist and plant collector, Paul Guillaume Farges. ''Abies fargesii'' can grow very large and b ...
'' – Farges' fir
* ''
Abies fanjingshanensis'' – Fanjingshan fir
* ''
Abies yuanbaoshanensis'' – Yuanbaoshan fir
* ''
Abies squamata'' – flaky fir
Section ''Oiamel''
Section ''Oiamel'' is found in central Mexico at high altitudes.
* ''
Abies religiosa
''Abies religiosa'', the oyamel fir or sacred fir, (known as in Spanish) is a fir native to the mountains of central and southern Mexico (Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, Sierra Madre del Sur) and western Guatemala. It grows at high altitudes o ...
'' – sacred fir
* ''
Abies hickelii'' – Hickel's fir
** ''Abies hickelii'' var. ''oaxacana'' – Oaxaca fir
Section ''Nobilis''
![Red fir](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Red_fir.jpg)
Section ''Nobilis'' (western
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, high altitudes)
* ''
Abies procera
''Abies procera'', the noble fir, also called red fir and Christmas tree, is a species of fir native to the Cascade Range and Pacific Coast Ranges of the northwestern Pacific Coast of the United States. It occurs at altitudes of .
Description
' ...
'' – noble fir
* ''
Abies magnifica
''Abies magnifica'', the red fir or silvertip fir, is a western North American fir, native to the mountains of southwest Oregon and California in the United States. It is a high-elevation tree, typically occurring at elevation, though only rare ...
'' – red fir
** ''Abies magnifica'' var. ''shastensis'' – Shasta red fir
Section ''Bracteata''
Section ''Bracteata'' (
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
coast)
* ''
Abies bracteata'' – bristlecone fir
Section ''Incertae sedis''
Section ''Incertae sedis''
* †''
Abies milleri
''Abies milleri'', an extinct species of fir known from fossil remains found in deposits from the early Eocene Ypresian Stage (stratigraphy), stage (around 49.5 mya) in Washington (U.S. state), Washington State, USA, is the oldest confirmed recor ...
'' – (Extinct) Early
Eocene
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...
Ecology
Firs are used as food plants by the
caterpillar
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...
s of some
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...
species, including ''
Chionodes
''Chionodes'' is a genus of moths of the family Gelechiidae. It is distributed throughout much of the world. The larvae of many species use the Douglas fir as a host plant.
Species
*The formosella species-group
**''Chionodes formosella''-complex ...
abella'' (recorded on
white fir
''Abies concolor'', the white fir, is a coniferous tree in the pine family Pinaceae. This tree is native to the mountains of western North America, including the Cascade Range and southern Rocky Mountains, and into the isolated mountain range ...
),
autumnal moth,
conifer swift (a pest of
balsam fir
''Abies balsamea'' or balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada (Newfoundland west to central Alberta) and the northeastern United States (Minnesota east to Maine, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to ...
),
the engrailed
The engrailed and small engrailed (''Ectropis crepuscularia'') are moths of the family Geometridae found from the British Isles through central and eastern Europe to the Russian Far East and Kazakhstan. The western Mediterranean and Asia Minor ...
,
grey pug
The grey pug (''Eupithecia subfuscata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found throughout the Palearctic region. It is also found in North America. Since it does not place any special demands on climatic conditions, special caterpilla ...
,
mottled umber
The mottled umber (''Erannis defoliaria'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is common throughout much of the Palearctic region. The species was first described by Carl Alexander Clerck in 1759.
Distribution
The species can be found in we ...
,
pine beauty
The pine beauty (''Panolis flammea'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is a common species of pine woods in Europe. The distribution area extends from the west of Catalonia over southern France, central Italy, central Europe to western Si ...
and the
tortrix moth
The Tortricidae are a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths or leafroller moths, in the order Lepidoptera. This large family has over 11,000 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea, although the genus ...
s ''
Cydia illutana
__NOTOC__
''Cydia illutana'' is a small moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found from western and central Europe (Great Britain, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany and France), north to Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland) and east ...
'' (whose caterpillars are recorded to feed on
European silver fir
''Abies alba'', the European silver fir or silver fir, is a fir native to the mountains of Europe, from the Pyrenees north to Normandy, east to the Alps and the Carpathians, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and sou ...
cone scales) and ''
C. duplicana'' (on European silver fir bark around injuries or
canker
A plant canker is a small area of dead tissue, which grows slowly, often over years. Some cankers are of only minor consequence, but others are ultimately lethal and therefore can have major economic implications for agriculture and horticultur ...
).
Uses
Wood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...
of most firs is considered unsuitable for general
timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...
use and is often used as
pulp
Pulp may refer to:
* Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit
Engineering
* Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture
* Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper
* Molded pulp, a packaging material
...
or for the manufacture of
plywood
Plywood is a material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured ...
and rough timber. Because this genus has no insect or decay resistance qualities after logging, it is generally recommended in construction purposes for indoor use only (e.g. indoor
drywall
Drywall (also called plasterboard, dry lining, wallboard, sheet rock, gypsum board, buster board, custard board, and gypsum panel) is a panel made of calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum), with or without additives, typically extruded between thick ...
on
framing). Firwood left outside cannot be expected to last more than 12 to 18 months, depending on the type of climate it is exposed to.
Nordmann fir
''Abies nordmanniana'', the Nordmann fir or Caucasian fir, is a fir Indigenous (ecology), indigenous to the mountains south and east of the Black Sea, in Turkey, Georgia (country), Georgia and the Russian Caucasus. It occurs at altitudes of 900 ...
,
noble fir
''Abies procera'', the noble fir, also called red fir and Christmas tree, is a species of fir native to the Cascade Range and Pacific Coast Ranges of the northwestern Pacific Coast of the United States. It occurs at altitudes of .
Description
'' ...
,
Fraser fir
The Fraser fir (''Abies fraseri'') is a species of fir native to the Appalachian Mountains of the Southeastern United States.
''Abies fraseri'' is closely related to ''Abies balsamea'' (balsam fir), of which it has occasionally been treated a ...
and
balsam fir
''Abies balsamea'' or balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada (Newfoundland west to central Alberta) and the northeastern United States (Minnesota east to Maine, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to ...
are popular
Christmas tree
A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern ...
s, generally considered to be the best for this purpose, with aromatic foliage that does not shed many needles on drying out. Many are also decorative garden trees, notably
Korean fir
''Abies koreana'' ( ko, 구상나무, ''Gusang namu''), the Korean fir, is a species of fir native to the higher mountains of South Korea, including Jeju Island. It grows at altitudes of in temperate rainforest with high rainfall and cool, Humid ...
and Fraser fir, which produce brightly coloured cones even when very young, still only tall. Other firs can grow anywhere between tall. Fir Tree Appreciation Day is June 18.
''
Abies religiosa
''Abies religiosa'', the oyamel fir or sacred fir, (known as in Spanish) is a fir native to the mountains of central and southern Mexico (Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, Sierra Madre del Sur) and western Guatemala. It grows at high altitudes o ...
''—sacred fir, is the overwinter host for the
monarch butterfly
The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (''Danaus plexippus'') is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown. It ...
.
''Abies spectabilis'' or Talispatra is used in
Ayurveda
Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population repo ...
as an antitussive (cough suppressant) drug.
See also
*
Douglas fir
The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three va ...
References
Further reading
* Philips, Roger. ''Trees of North America and Europe'', Random House, Inc., New York , 1979.
External links
''Abies''at The Gymnosperm Database
at the Arboretum de Villardebelle—images of cones of selected species
Platt, Karen"Gold Fever" provides descriptions of golden or yellow-leaved Abies cultivars
{{authority control
Pinaceae
Extant Ypresian first appearances
Taxa named by Philip Miller