Volume 48 Number 1 Winter 1988

Arnoldia (ISSN 0004-2633; USPS 866-100) is pub-lished quarterly, in winter, spring, summer, and fall,by the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.

Subscriptions are $12.00 per calendar year domestic,$15.00 per calendar year foreign, payable in advance.Single copies are $3.50. All remittances must be inU. S. dollars, by check drawn on a U. S. bank or byinternational money order. Address subscriptionorders, remittances, change-of-address notices, and allother subscription-related communications to:Helen G. Shea, Circulation Manager, Arnoldia, TheArnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130-2795.Telephone /617) 524-1718.

Postmaster: Send address changes to:ArnoldiaThe Arnold ArboretumJamaica Plain, MA 02130-2795.

Copyright ® 1988, The President and Fellows ofHarvard College.

Edmund A. Schofield, EditorPeter Del Tredici, Associate EditorHelen G. Shea, Circulation ManagerMarion D. Cahan, Editorial Assistant (Volunteer)

Arnoldia is printed by the Office of the UniversityPublisher, Harvard University.

Front cover: Abies concolor (Gordon) Engelmann, thewhite fir, photographed in the Arnold Arboretum byHerbert Wendell Gleason on August 12, 1930. Takenfrom a hand-colored glass lantern slide prepared by theJ. Horace McFarland Company of Harrisburg, Pennsyl-vania. (See page 21.) c^llnside front cover:-Abiespinsapo Boissier, the Spanish fir, photographed by anunidentified person in the Serrania de Ronda, Spain.(See page 39.) ~This page:-Foliage (top) and habit ofAbies veitchii Lindley, Veitch’s fir, the latter taken byHeman A. Howard. (See page 46.) PJlnside backcover.--Abies holophylla Maximowicz, the needle fir,photographed by Ernest H. Wilson in the forests nearChoanji, Kongo-san, Kogen Province, Korea, on October16, 1917. This tree was ninety feet (27.5 m) tall; itstrunk had a girth of ten feet (3 m). (See page 30.) c"J Backcover.--Abies lasiocarpa (Hooker) Nuttall, the sub-

alpine fir, photographed in the Amethyst Lakes regionof Jasper National Park, Canada, by Ethan W. Johnson.(See page 43. ) All photographs except the last one arefrom the Archives of the Arnold Arboretum.

Page2 A Guide to the Firs (Abies spp.) of the

Arnold ArboretumRichard WarrenEthan W. Johnson

A Guide to the Firs (Abies spp.) of the ArnoldArboretum

Richard WarrenEthan W johnson

Twenty-five of the thirty- to forty-odd species (and hybrid species) of thewide-ranging Northern Hemisphere genus Abies currently grow in theArnold Arboretum

Abies is the scientific name of the firs, or, as is more common in Britain, of the silver firs.Botanists took many years to agree upon it (Warren, 1982). Virgil (70-19 s.c.) applied theword "abies" to the wood employed for the ribs of the Trojan horse (Virgil, circa 19 s.c.). Thismay have led to the modern naming of the genus; certainly it influenced the naming, in 1883,of a species from northwestern Anatolia-Abies equi-trojani Aschers e~ Sint.

The English word "fir" is of Scandinavian (Old Norse) origin and referred originally topine, which in that part of the world is Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). Many English stillrefer to their pines as ‘ firs. Their use of "silver fir" as the common name for members of thegenus Abies is due to the whiteness of the undersides of the leaves in most species.

The aims of this guide are, first, to highlight the morphologic characters of the genus Abiesso that it may readily be distinguished from related genera and, second, to accentuate thecharacters that clearly separate the species of Abies from each other.

The Genus Abies

The genus Abies, as do the genera Pinus,Picea, and Larix, grows widely in the NorthTemperate Zone around the world, reachingfrom the Arctic Circle (Abies sibirica) to theTropical Zone, at 15 degrees North latitude(Abies guatemalensis) in Central America. Ingeneral, it is not as hardy in Arctic climatesas are members of the genus Picea, but Piceadoes less well than Abies in southern cli-

Opposite : Drawings made by Charles Edward Faxon ofvarious macroscopic and microscopic structures of thegrand fir (Abies grandis Lindley). From Charles SpragueSargent’s The Silva of North America. (See page 29.)

mates like that of the Mediterranean area.There are some thirty to forty species in

the genus Abies, depending on the author. Liu(1971), for example, lists forty-one species,sixteen varieties, and six hybrids. Abiescompetes for third place with Picea as thegenus of conifers in the Northern Hemi-sphere containing the greatest number ofspecies (Pinus contains about one hundredspecies and Juniperus about sixty). This guideis based on the species of Abies in the ArnoldArboretum-twenty-three species and twonamed hybrids, twenty-five in all (see the liston page 13).

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HabitErect. Narrow. Pyramidal. With the no-table exception of Abies nordmanniana, thebranches do not droop. The leader is seen up-right and rigid against the sky as in Picea (notnodding as in Tsuga).

BarkSmooth at first but stippled with horizontalrows of resin blisters appearing like len-ticels. With age the lower bark in most spe-cies becomes rough. Departures from thesegeneralizations form the basis for the identi-fication of certain species.

BudsOvate or round (less pointed than in Picea).Resinous or not resinous. It is to be noted thatthe resinosity or nonresinosity of the buds isuseful in distinguishing species but is of nouse after they have broken open in the grow-ing season (May through July) until the newones have formed. The resin may present tothe eye either as semicrystallized white gran-ules or as glairy, clear material. Both aresticky to the touch.

BranchletsSurface generally even in contour but oftenfissured or undulate. Not roughened norscaled. Hairy or not hairy according to spe-cies. When the leaves fall off the branchletsymmetrical, round leaf scars are left. Thesescars are different from those on the branchesof Picea, which are at the tips of woody pegs,or projections from the branchlet surfacecalled sterigmas. The leaf scars in Pseudo-tsuga (Douglas fir) are also rounded but areslightly raised from the branchlet surface.

FoliageLeaves are in two ranks, each rank consistingof two or more rows in which the shorterleaves are above. They tend to be arranged ina pectinate fashion, with a "V" between therows above and less of a V below. Prominentexceptions are Abies koreana, and Abies pin-sapo, whose leaves, although more dense

below, are arranged all around the branchlet.Also, the nearer the situation of the branchletto the crown, the greater the tendency tosuppression of the V.

Leaves

Flattened, linear. Above: few or no stomata(exceptions showing stomata above, such asAbies concolor, Abies lasiocarpa, Abies rnag-nifica, Abies pinsapo, and Abies procera givea first clue to identity), a groove usually beingpresent. Below there are two longitudinalbands made up of several rows each of sto-mata varying in color from white to

gray-green. The bands are framed by threelongitudinal, slightly raised, green ribs, themidrib, and the sideribs. The tip of the leaf isrounded or pointed or notched. The attach-ment of the leaves to the branchlet is by arounded end of the pedicel, which looks likea suction cup.

Resin CanalsResin canals are tubular channels in the leaftissue lined with resin-secreting cells. Theirposition in the leaf relative to other struc-tures seen in cross section is of use in distin-guishing between species, as is true to someextent in all conifers. This is particularly so inthe genus Abies, where the position is moreconstant and reliable than in other conifers.

Firs have two resin canals. They are seenwith a lens as two holes in the cut surface ofa transected leaf from which drops of resinemerge (see the figure, page 10). The two cate-gories of position are marginal, wherein thecanal edge touches the hypoderm, and me-dian, when it does not.

Since the relative position of the canalwithin the leaf may vary between its base andits tip, make the section of the leaf near itsmiddle. Use a very sharp instrument, such asa razor blade, and wipe away the emergingresin droplet, which may be so large as toobscure the position of the canal. A handlens and a good light are needed. A dissectingmicroscope is a useful "luxury."

5

ConesThe barrel-shaped, upright megasporangiatecones of Abies occur, as they do in most coni-fers, in the uppermost branches of the tree.The young cones of most species are purple,but the color changes to brown later in theyear. A few conspicuous exceptions havecones that are green when young-Abiesnephrolepis forma chlorocarpa, Abies ho-molepis var. umbellata (Abies Xumbellata),andAbies veitchii var. olivacea, for example.Ovuliferous (seed-bearing) scales of Abiescones are woody, each bearing two wingedseeds on its adaxial surface. They mature inone growing season and disintegrate on thetree. The scales detach in the fall, and theseeds are dispersed by the wind. The centralspikelike element of the cone denuded ofscales remains erect on the branchlet for up toa year or more.The bracts of Abies cones are in certain

species longer than the cone scales. The tipsare then visible, and they are described as"exserted." This is a helpful lead towardidentity. All species of the genus Abies aremonoecious. Pollination is by wind.

Similar Genera and DistinguishingCharactersGenera of evergreen trees that might be con-fused with are Picea spp. (the spruces), Tsugaspp. (the hemlocks), Pseudotsuga spp. (theDouglas firs), and Taxus spp. (the yews). Thesalient differences among them are tabulatedon page 12.The first important step is examination of

the branchlet for the character of the leafscars. The next is the leaves themselves. Thebud and the cone, when available, are ex-tremely, if not definitively, important, butthey are not as dependably available as theleaves. Study of the bark and habit shouldcome next. Having accomplished examina-tion of these, then reexamination of the speci-men in more detail (hairiness and color ofbranchlet, resin canals in leaves) is advisable.This order of examination can obviously bechanged if one is in the presence of the tree

itself from the outset. The habit and the barkwill then naturally be examined first.The following seventeen species, in addi-

tion to those listed on page 13, which grow inthe Arnold Arboretum, are recorded as be-longing to the genus Abies. Some have in thepast been tried in the Arnold Arboretum andfailed and therefore have not been included inthis report. We make note of them here forcompleteness in overviewing the genus buthave appended no descriptions. We will referto them occasionally.

Abies bracteata (D. Don) D. Don ex PoiteauAbies chensiensis Van TieghemAbies ernestii (Rehder) LiuAbies delavayi FranchetAbies durangensis MartinezAbies guatemalensis RehderAbies hickeli Flous & GaussenAbies kawakamii (Hayata) ItoAbies mariesii M. T. MastersAbies mexicana MartinezAbies nebrodensis (Lojacono-Pojero) MatteiAbies numidica De Lannoy ex CarriereAbies pardei Gaussen. *Abies pindrow(Lambert) RoyleAbies religiosa (von Humboldt, Bonpland &

Kunth) Schlechtendal & ChamissoAbies squamata M. T. MastersAbies vejari Martinez

Having determined that an unknown is amember of the genus Abies one must estab-lish which, if any, of the above species bestfits the characters observed. Since keys areoften difficult to follow, we have chosen topresent the material in tabular form (pages 6and 11). Smoothness of bark, resinosity ofbuds, ridges or grooves on the branchlet sur-face, hairiness of branchlet, stomata situatedon the upper surface of the leaves in additionto the underside, whiteness of stomata, posi-tion of resin canals, and degree of exsertion ofscale bracts of the cones are considered themost significant characters.

*A plant designated "A. pardei" does grow in the AmoldArboretum, but an irregular taxonomic feature(glabrous branchlets) casts doubt on its identity andprompts us to omit it from the list.

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1 1 According ~ to Important Characters

BarkYoung bark is relatively smooth(i.e., is not scaly or ridged)."Smoothness" does not rule outa "pigskin," pebbly character,and the old bark roughenedwith flat or elevated plates orridges. The following are excep-tions :

Old bark smoothAbies sachalinensisAbies veitchii

New bark roughAbies holophyllaAbies homolepis

BudMost buds in firs, as in sprucesand pines, are resinous. The fol-lowing five exceptions are

useful only when the buds areunbroken:

Abies albaAbies cephalonica

(occasionally resinous)Abies cilicica

(occasionally resinous)Abies holophylla

(occasionally resinous)Abies nordmanniana

Ridges or grooves onsurface of branchletBranchlets conspicuouslyridged and grooved (gentle un-dulations and shallow fissuresnot included):

Abies firmaAbies holophyllaAbies homolepisAbies nephrolepisAbies pinsapoAbies sachalinensis

Hairiness of branchletHairiness of branchlets is bestlooked for on the previous year’sgrowth. A hand lens is helpful. Athorough examination is neces-sary to derive a concept of thetrend. Scattered hairs are occa-sionally found in the grooves ofthose listed as not hairy.

Conspicuously hairyAbies albaAbies balsameaAbies Xborisii-regi’sAbies concolorAbies fraseriAbies grandisAbies lasiocarpaAbies magnificaAbies nordmannianaAbies sachalinensisAbies sibiricaAbies veitchii

Slightly hairyAbies amabilisAbies firma aAbies nephrolepisAbies koreanaAbies procera

Not hairyAbies XbornmuellerianaAbies cephalonicaAbies cilicicaAbies fargesiiAbies holophyllaAbies homolepisAbies pinsapoAbies recurvata

Stomata on upper surfaceof leavesThe leaves are the most impor-tant vegetative element of a

conifer for distinguishing thespecies from each other.Leaves with stomata on their

upper surface (when presenthere, stomata concentrate onthe tip and in the dorsal groove):

GeneralAbies concolorAbies magnificaAbies pinsapoAbies procera

Partial

Abies amabilisAbies Xborisii-regis

(occasionally)Abies xbommuellerianaAbies cephalonicaAbies fraseriAbies lasiocarpaAbies sibirica

The fourteen other speciesshow no stomata on the uppersurface.

Stomata on underside ofleaves gray or green (notwhite)

Abies Xborisii-regisgray-green

Abies cilicicagray-green

Abies concolorglaucous

Abies firmagray-green

Abies holophyllagray-green

Abies lasiocarpagray

Abies pinsapogray

Abies recurvatagreen

The seventeen other speciesshow white stomata on thelower surface.

(continued on page 11)

7

View toward the south in the Arnold Arboretum’s Pinetum (left). Abies concolor is in the foreground, Abies homolepisin the background. The small plant is Abies concolor ‘Candicans’, which was damaged by vandals. A fine, 25-meter-tall, 60-year-old specimen of Abies concolor (right). All photographs on pages 7 through 10 were taken by Ethan W.Johnson.

Leaf attachments of conifez~. Abies concolor: leaf bases resembling suction cups (a); Abies veitchii: leaf scars circular(b) ; Picea koyamai: pegs, or sterigmata (c); Pseudotsuga menziesii: leaf scars slightly raised, oval (d); Taxus cuspidata:oblique, easily peeling attachments (e); Tsuga caroliniana: petioles tiny, leaf scars raised (f).

8

Bark. Abies balsamea: resin blisters numerous on otherwise smooth bark (left); Abies holophylla: bark flaking off inpapery strips (right).

Grooving of branchlets. Abies homolepis: Branchlets grooved (left); Abies concolor: branchlets not grooved (right).

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Hairiness of branchlets. Abies alba: hairs on branchlets visible to the naked eye (left); Abies concolor: hair on branchletsshort, best observed with the aid of a magnifying glass (right).

a b c d

e f gLeaf attitudes and contours. Abies firma: leaves on lower (immature) branches with bifid tips (a); Abies procera: leafbases curved in hockey-stick fashion (b); Abies recurvata: leaves pointing back, away from terminal (c); Abies pinsapo’Glauca’: leaves short, stiff, and stout (d); Abies lasiocarpa: leaves long, slender, and supple (e); Abies grandis: leavesspreading nearly at right angles to the branchlet (f); and Abies koreana: leaves that reach out on all sides of branchlet,no V" (p~.

10

a b d

Leaf markings and resin canals. Abies cephalonica: dorsal stomata often present in groove at tip of leaves (a); Abieslasiocarpa: dorsal stomata usually above middle of leaves (b); Abies concolor: resin canals marginal (c); Abiesholophylla: resin canals median (d).

Cones. Abies koreana: bract scales exserted (leftJ; Abies concolor: bract cones hidden in cones (right). A silvery resinis dripping from the cone.

11 1

(continued from page 6)

Position of resin canalsSpecies accompanied by an asterisk(*~ appear in both columns.

MarginalAbies albaAbies amabilis*Abies Xborisii-zegisAbies XbornmuellerianaAbies cephalonica

(occasionallysubmarginal)*Abies cilicicaAbies concolorAbies grandisAbies nordmannianaAbies proceraAbies recurvata

MedianAbies balsamea*Abies Xborisii-regis

(occasionally onfruiting branches)

*Abies cilicica(occasionally onfruiting branches)

Abies fargesiiAbies firma (occasionally

more than two resincanals)

Abies fraseriAbies holophyllaAbies homolepisAbies koreana

(occasionallysubmarginal)Abies lasiocarpaAbies magnificaAbies nephrolepisAbies pinsapoAbies sachalinensisAbies sibiricaAbies veitchii

(occasionallysubmarginal)

ConesIn Abies, cones are harder toobtain than are those of otherconifers. The most conspicuouscharacteristic in differentiationof species is the exsertion of thebract scales, or their lack ofexsertion. Other features, suchas cone-scale shape, color, andsize, and shape of cone, are lessimportant.

Cone bracts

Markedly exsertedAbies albaAbies Xbozisii-regisAbies xbornmuellerianaAbies cephalonicaAbies fargesiiAbies firmaAbies fraseriAbies proceraAbies veitchii

(occasionally slightly)

Slightly exsertedAbies nephrolepisAbies nordmannianaAbies sachalinensis

(often hidden) IAbies koreana

Hidden

Abies amabilisAbies balsameaAbies cilicicaAbies concolorAbies grandisAbies holophyllaAbies homolepisAbies lasiocarpaAbies magnificaAbies pinsapoAbies recurvataAbies sibirica

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I 1 . ~ with ~ n 1

· ~ r of theArnold Arboretum

PageAbies alba I Miller ......... 16

Abies amabilis (Douglas) J. 1 1 ’ 17Abies balsamea 1 (Linnæus) Miller ......... 18

Abies Xborisii-regis 1 19Abies I I I 1 ~ 1 20

Abies l I I / 1 1 1 21Abies cilicica 1 ~ 1 Carrière......... 22

Abies concolor 1 1 1 Engelmann ......... 23Abies fargesii Franchet......... 25

Abies firma ’ 1 1 1 &. Zuccarini ......... 26Abies fraseri ~ ~ 1 i

Abies grandis 1 ’ 29Abies I I I I 1 30

Abies ’ I I I ’ 1 1 1 &. Zuccarini ......... 31Abies ’ koreana 1 E. H. Wilson......... 33

Abies I I I I 1 (Hooker) Nuttall ......... 34Abies magnifica I ’ Murray......... 36

Abies n n / / n / ~ 1 37Abies ’ nordmanniana I (Steven) 1. 38

Abies ’ pinsapo I 1 1 39Abies I I I Rehder......... 41

Abies recurvata I M. T. Masters ......... 43Abies sachalinensis M. T. Masters ......... 44

Abies sibirica I ’ 1 · 1 1 45Abies n veitchii 1 . 46

GLOSSARY OF ~ 1 471 1 ~ v

14

1 . 1 ’ 1 ~ 1 1 1 .

In describing the genus Abies and those of its species that grow in the ArnoldArboretum, we list characters in the same sequence. Though we do not provide akey, we do provide summary tabulations that group by character the species thatpossess it (see pages 6, 11, and 12).Examine an unidenti fied specimen in the sequence suggested-that is, its habit

first, then its bark, branchlet including bud, foliage, leaf, and, finally, cone. Theremay be some disagreement on definitions of the above terms because they overlap.Some categories, such as "branchlet," "foliage," and "leaf," have been arbitrarilydefined. "Branchlet" as used here includes both the new shoot and the adjacentgrowth of recent years. Except in late summer and fall, the previous year’s growthusually is the most useful for determining color, hairiness, and texture of the sur-face. We deal with leaf scars under "Branchlet" rather than under "Leaves," whilethe arrangement of leaves on the branchlets we treat under "Foliage." Leaf colorwe usually discuss under "Leaves," unless there was some particular advantage indescribing the color imparted to the whole leaf, as in the blue Spanish fir, Abiespinsapo forma glauca, in which case we refer to it under "Foliage."The descriptions are based on our personal inspection of living material, most of

it from the Arnold Arboretum. References from the literature reinforce our observa-tion. When we refer to trees growing in the Arnold Arboretum they are older,established plants. We include infraspecific taxa and cultivars if they grow atnormal rates; slow-growing taxa and dwarfs we refer to only if they are the solerepresentatives of the species in the Arnold Arboretum or if they possess somespecial feature that is worthy of note.

DimensionsThe dimensions of the species are based oncultivated trees unless we specifically statethat we are dealing with a native habitat.Conifers in cultivation in the United Statestoday usually are no more than one hundredfifty years old and thus do not indicate thesize they eventually will achieve in theirnatural habitats.

FoliageThe foliage available for examination usuallyis taken from the tree at a level between 1.5and 3 meters from the ground. Foliage on theupper, better-lit, "fruiting" branches differsfrom that lower down on the tree. At the highlevels the branchlets and leaves are thickerand stiffer, and the leaves, in addition, areshorter, more upswept, pointed, and curved

with resin canals that become, in plantswhere they are typically marginal, more me-dian.

ConeBe prepared to do without a cone for examina-tion. With few exceptions the cones of Abiesare borne in the crown of the tree and disinte-grate there when mature. So climbing or us-ing some other method of reaching the upperpart of the tree is necessary unless one isfortunate enough to find a cone-bearing topbranch knocked off by a strong wind or aheavy load of snow. The only other conifergenus whose cones behave in the same way isCedrus, but in Cedrus some cones grow lowerdown the tree and therefore are more acces-sible from the ground.

15

Variations within TaxaIn pursuing the identification of plants bymorphologic characters one is dealing withunstable factors and must not expect a singleindividual in a taxonomic category to beexactly like another. George Russell Shaw, inhis monograph The Genus Pinus (1914),quoted Schimper:

There are species... and this is

equally important for the systema-tist and the physiologist,... whichso completely react to the changingrequirements of moisture that ex-treme forms can appear to belong todissimilar species.

In the following treatment it has been nec-essary to seem positive about the presence orabsence of certain characters, knowing that asmall proportion of the specimens do notconform. The character of hairiness versushairlessness of the branchlet, for instance,may depend on whether a high magnificationis used. The branchlets of Abies concolorgenerally appear glabrous to the naked eye orthrough a hand lens, but the dissecting micro-scope will show short hairs. The foliage of

Abies xbornmuelleriana is listed as pecti-nate on the upper surfaces of the branchlets,but one of our trees does not show this. Theundersides of the leaves of Abies nephrolepisare recorded as having no midrib, but one ofour plants does show a thin one.The great importance of looking at all the

characters in a given plant and being preparedto choose which ones are determining cannotbe overemphasized. A certain amount of fa-miliarity with the species is necessary in

achieving an authoritative opinion. The tabu-lations are guides only, not infallible descrip-tions. But this is true also of keys.

A Note on the Symbols and Terms UsedThe most important characteristics for dis-tinguishing a species from similar ones aresignalled by the device "~" and are set inboldface italic type. In many cases the de-gree to which a character expresses itself israted as "0," "+," " "1+ , "2+," "3+," or "4+."

The hardiness zones used to indicate thecold hardiness of species are those of theArnold Arboretum, not those of the UnitedStates Department of Agriculture.

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Abies alba I · EUROPEAN SILVER 1

Abies alba grows widely in Europe, mostly inmountain areas, from 38° North latitude to52° North latitude between 30° and 27° Eastlongitude. In Britain, where, it is cultivatedvery widely and has been for centuries, it isalmost regarded as native. It is the mostcommon on the continent of Europe.

Abies alba is hardy in Zones IV-VII in theeastern United States and in the ArnoldArboretum, which grows 9 specimens. All

but 3 are less than 20 years old. One of the 3oldest plants is a magnificent tree of approxi-mately 25 m in height; its trunk is 66 cm indiameter. The record is not available, but it isknown to have been growing there for at least60 years. The next oldest is 50 years old and 16m tall.No infraspecific relatives of Abies alba

grow in the Arnold Arboretum.

HabitReaching 50 m in heightPyramidal when young

BarkGray, smooth, except in oldtrees, on which it is rough andfissured

BudVery smallRound to conical~Not resinous

BranchletLight tan to dark brown2+ hairy, scatteredSurface regular to slightly un-dulatingFlexibility 2+

FoliageAboveLeaves pointing forward90°-60° from branchletPectinate, with a wide VBelow~Pectinate, pointing 80° frombranchlet

Leaves2 cm x 2 mmFlattened, linearSides parallelTips round or slightly notchedNot curvedMargins entireFlexibility 2+

AboveShiny greenNo stomata (occasional excep-tions)Shallow grooveNo midribBelowStomata white

Margins not revoluteNot keeledResin canals marginal

Cones11 x 4 cmCylindrical1+ tapered both endsGreen-purple, turning brownBracts exserted

Similar Species*Abies ~zorc~rr~a,~r~~ta,~a: leaves above point forward, eliminating the V and ccmce~.ling thebranchlet surface

-Abies balsamea : upper surfaces c~~ leaves less glossy; resin canals median; buds xesinous;resin blisters on ba~r~ ,

·,~bi~s azx~nbz~~s: leaves arranged like those of Abies nordmanniana but more curved andoften with scattered stomata on their upper surfaces

·Abies veitchii; leaves 4+ flexible with strikingly blue-white, chalky bands beneath

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Abies amabilis 1 .. · J. ~ m ’ RED k ’

Abies amabilis grows from southern Alaskato the Oregon-California border at mediumelevations. It is very common on the OlympicPeninsula in Washington. One of its commonnames is "lovely fir," a translation of theLatin amabilis. It lives up to the epithet, itsspirelike crown distinguishing it from theslightly rounded tops of other firs of the

same stature, such as Abies procera.Abiesamabilis is hardy in Zones V-VII.

The Arnold Arboretum contains only onemature specimen of Abies amabilis, theslow-growing cultivar ’Spreading Star’, anattractive dwarf accessioned in 1971 and now40 cm tall.

HabitPyramidal, graceful, spirelikeGrowing to 80 m in its nativehabitat

BarkWhite-graySmooth, except at base, whichon old trees is very rough

BudSmall4+ resinous

BranchletGray-brownDense, with short hairsSurface undulating

FoliageAboveLeaves pointing forward40°~0° from branchlet~A rank of appressed,forward-growing leavesoccupying center andcovermg branchlet

~ V wideBelowPectinate, leaves pointingforward 70°-80° from branch-let

LeavesUp to 3 cm x 2 mmFlattened, linearSides parallelTip truncated, occasionallynotchedCurved slightly (1+) in flat andlateral dimensions

Margins entireFlexibility 3+

AboveShiny greenOccasional patches of stomataat tip or rarely scattered

sparsely in linesGrooved shallowlyBelowStomata 3+~+, whiteMargins not revoluteNot keeledResin canals marginal

Cones10-15 x 5-6 cmBarrel-shapedPurple, becoming brownBracts (with rare exceptions)hidden

Distinguishing Characters-Crushed foliage reputed to smell of tangerines·A specimen of Abies with leaves like those of Abies veitchii but longer and morecurved, and arranged like those of Abies nordmanniana, but appressed in the center ofthe V, and having few stomata above and marginal resin canals likely to be Abiesamabilis

Similar Species. Abies nordmanniana: leaves flexible, point forward covering the branchlet, but withmedian resin canals and no white patches of stomata near tips on upper surface; coneswith exserted bracts

·Abies veitchii: leaves with similar very white lines of stomata below, flexible, andpointing forward above the branchlet, but with median resin canals

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Abies balsamea I ’ ~ ~ ~ 1

Abies balsamea is native to the northernUnited States and Canada, from Newfound-land to Alberta. It is fragrant with a balsamodor and is used for pulp and Christmas treesin the northeastern United States. The name"balsam fir" is applied to other firs in variouslocalities: to Abies fraseri in the Appa-lachians, Abies lasiocarpa in the Southwest,and Abies concolor in the Sierra Nevada ofCalifornia. All members of the genus Abies,in fact, possess varying amounts of resin (orbalsam).A cold-climate tree, Abies balsamea does

not do well in the Boston area. It is hardy toZone II, but Zone V is often too mild; some

trees native to the warmer coastal parts ofNew England do well in Zone V, however.One of the best specimens in southern NewEngland, a tree transplanted from southernMaine as a seedling, is approximately 12 mtall; it grows next to a small pond in north-eastern Connecticut (Storrs).The Arboretum grows two specimens of

Abies balsamea; accessioned about thirtyyears ago, they are 11 m and 12 m tall, respec-tively.

Its only infraspecific taxa in the ArnoldArboretum’s collections are slow-growingforms.

Habit~Growing slowly, reachingno more than 20 m in 50years

Symmetrical, conical; crownspirelike, lasting into matureyearsIn maturity, not distinguishedas an ornamental

BarkGray-green~Smooth except for promi-nentresin blistersRougher in old age

BudsSmall, less than 6 mm4+ resinous

Branchlet2+ undulating ridges coveredwith fine hairs

FoliageAboveLeaves pointing forward80°~5° from branchletPectinate, with a wide VBelowPectinate, leaves pointing45°-90° forward

Leaves1.5-2 cm x 1.5-2 mmFlattened in cross sectionSides parallelTip entire, occasionally with atiny notchNot curvedMargins entireFlexibility 2+

AboveDark green, not conspicuouslyshinyNo stomataGroovedNo midribBelow2 white bands of stomata ~8or fewer rows to each ~and

Margins not revoluteMidrib 1+ prominentNot keeledResin canals median

Cones5-8 cm longCylindricalGreen-purple, turning brown~Bract tips usually hidden

Similar Species "

’

·A,b~e~ ~lbr~: buds nonxesi~aus~ leaves shiny; xesin canais rnar~~na~·.A&~~s atn~t~xiZis: leaves shiny abcwe# ~ em long, flexiblei.~b~~ ~’r~ser’i: shoots densely bair~r; 8-12 rows of stomata in each band on undersu~_faces of leaves; tips of cone bracts exserted .

~A?~i~s nordmannian~c: leaves prv~ect forward, covering the shoot; buds nonresinous;resin canals marginal .

=Abies veitchii: leaves 4+ flexihle; conspicuously chalky wbite stc~mata t~n undersurfaceof leaves

19

Abies Xborisii-regis ~ , 1 BULGARIAN 1

A hybrid of Abies cephalonica and Abiesalba, Abies X borisii-regis, the Bulgarian (orKing Boris) fir, grows in Bulgaria and Greece.It was described in the early 1920s and namedfor King Boris of Bulgaria, who was monarchat the time the plant was identified as aseparate species. A previous name was Abiesalba var. acutifolia, a useful point to remem-ber because one of its outstanding character-istics is its pointed leaves. The hybridizationmay have taken place when Abies alba mi-

grated southward in Europe as the cooling forthe Ice Age began.

Abies Xborisii-regis is hardy in ZonesV-VII. In the Arnold Arboretum 3 magnifi-cent 60-year-old specimens grow. Acquiredas seeds from trees growing wild in Greece,they are 16 to 20 m tall and 60 cm in diame-ter.

No infraspecific relatives of AbiesXborisii-regis grow in the Arnold Arbore-tum.

HabitA handsome, denselybranched, dark tree with glossyfoliage and a broadly coniccrown

BarkVery dark ~raySmooth; high on old trees

BudPink-brown, ovoid-conical4 mmResinous

Branchlet

Light brown3+ hairySurface 1+ groovedFlexibility 2+

FoliageAbovePectinateV very wideLeaves pointing forward 60°from branchletBelowPectinateLeaves pointing 80°-90° frombranchletLeaves3-3.5 cm x 2.5 mmFlattened, linear, tapering attipSides parallel~Tip long, pointedCurved 2+ in flat dimensionMargins entireFlexibility 3+

Above~Very shiny deep green, nostomata except occasionallyscarce at tip

Groved prominentlyNo midribBelowStomata gray-greenMargins subrevoluteNot keeledResin canals marginal butreported to be median onfruiting branchlets

Cones8-12 x 3-4.5 cmCylindrical, gradually taperingfrom base to broad rounded tipBracts markedly exserted

Similar Species-The long, pointed leaves suggest Abies holophylla, but in that plant the branchlets arenot hairy, the resin canals in the leaves are in the median position, and the bud is onlyslightly resinous. The cone of Abies holophylla, furthermore, does not expose itsbracts. The leaves of Abies holophylla are lighter green.A striking feature of the specimens in the Arnold Arboretum is the glossiness of the

upper surface of their leaves. This is often matched by one of its parents, Abies alba,which plant differs, however, in having nonresinous buds and shorter, less pointedleaves.

20

Abies ~ ~ , , ~ ~ 1 ~ TURKISH 1

Named for Joseph Bornmuller (1862-1948), aGerman botanical explorer in Asia Minor,Abies Xbornmuelleriana is native to thenorth shore of Asia Minor, on the Black Sea.A hybrid between Abies cephalonica and

Abies nordmanniana, it was described in1925.Abies X bornmuelleriana is hardy in Zone

V. The Arnold Arboretum has 2 specimens,the older of which is 27 years old and 6 m tall.

HabitBroadRounded conical

BarkGray, smooth, but pebbled like

pigskin ,

Old bark rough .

BudResinous 2+

BranchletGlabrousUndulatingGreenish tan

FoliageAboveNot pectinate (occasional ex-ceptions)Incomplete VLeaves pointing forward 30°from branchletBelowPectinate

Leaves2.5-3 cm x 2 mmLinearSides bitaperedTip a rounded, entire point, oc-casionally emarginateCurved 2+ in the flat planeMargins entireFlexibility 1+

AboveShiny greenStomata scarce in groove at tipShallow grooveNo midribBelowStomata whitish grayMargins not revoluteKeeled by midribResin canals marginal

Cones12-15 x 4 cmCylindric turret-shapedBracts exserted

Distinguishing Characters·Abies x bornmuelleriana: evenly placed between its two parents, sharing sorrie t~uali-ties of each (both have marginal resin canals and exserted cone bracts, although inAbies nordmanniana they are less conspicuous than in Abies cephalonicaJ, but AbiesXbornmuelleriana has the glabrous branchlets and resinous buds of Abies cephalonica(not seen in Cxili2s iiiui dlnanlllanQ

Similar Species

·Abies nordmanniana: leaves point forward above the branchlet but buds nonresinousAbies cephalonica: stomata on the upper surface but leaves more pointed and neveremarginate

21

Abies cephalonica l l 1 / GREEK FIR

Abies cephalonica is native to Greece andother parts of the southern Balkans, where itgrows in mountainous areas. Widely plantedelsewhere in Europe, it is hardy from Zone Vto the milder parts of Zone VII. Three maturespecimens grow in the Arnold Arboretum.They are 103, 88, and 33 years old and meas-ure 23 m, 22 m, and 13 m in height and 70-75cm in diameter.

Abies cephalonica var. grxca differs fromthe type in having shorter, stiffer leavescrowded on the upper surface of the shoot. Itsprevious name was Abies cephalonica var.apollinis. The Arnold Arboretum grows 2specimens, 1 accessioned in 1900 and 13 mtall, the other accessioned in 1943 and 9 mtall.

HabitConical with a dome-shapedcrown

Transverse branches, long andstrongBark green

BarkGray-brown, occasionally witha touch of pinkYounger parts of the tree withbeech-gray bark, smooth butfor pigskin stipplingOlder parts fissured into 2 x 3-cm plates

BudRound, with domed tipResinous 1+-2+~Bud-scale tips slightlyre-flexed

BranchletLight brownShallow fluted grooves~ GlabrousFlexibility 1+ +

FoliageAboveLeaves pointing 70°-90° frombranchlet~Leaves going around shoot

to some extent, leaving theupper side without a VBelow

Incompletely pectinate, butleaves less dense below thanabove pointing 60° from thebranc~letLeaves2-3 cm x 2 mmFlattened, linear with 2+ keelSides parallel but tapered atboth ends

~Tips pointed, entire on mostspecunens but occasionallyrounded and notched

Curved 2+ in flat planeMargins entireFlexibility 1+-2+

Above~Shiny dark green, with apatch of stomata at the tip

Groove presentNo midribBelowStomata in two white rowsMargins not revoluteMidrib prominent, making akeelResin canals marginal or sub-marginal, very small

Cones10-23 x 5 cmCylindricalTip sharply tapered, but with apointBracts exserted

Distinguishing Characters-Leaves dark green, stiff-pointed, often with small patches of white stomata at the tip ofupper surface; bud scarcely resinous

Similar Species·Abtes pinsapo: leaves stiff, pointed, but unlike those of Abies cephalonica dramaticallystiff, distributed all around the shoot with no semblance of a V above or below, andwith rows of stomata beside the midrib and below

=Ables X bor~sii-regis: branchlets hairy; leaves shinier and shorterAbies Xbornmuelleriana: shingled arrangement of leaves on the upper surface likeAbies nordmanniana

22

Abies cilicica v ’ ; i’ Carrière: v 1

Abies cilicica grows in Turkey, Syria, andLebanon. (Cilicia is on the southern coast ofAsia Minor directly west of Syria./ It has tosome extent the same distribution as Cedruslibani. Hardy in Zone V, it is not common incultivation, but the Hunnewell Pinetum inWellesley, Massachusetts, has three speci-mens. One of them (of unknown age) is apatriarch 18 m in height and with a trunk 100cm in diameter. Two 50-year-old specimens

grow in the Arnold Arboretum’s Pinetumarea; they are 9.5 m and 14 m tall.

Abies cilicica and Abies nordmannianaare closely allied. Their geographic rangestouch southern Turkey (Abies cilicica) andnorthern Turkey (Abies nordmanniana).Abies cilicica has been termed "a weak nord-manniana."No infraspecific relatives of Abies cilicica

grow in the Arnold Arboretum.

HabitNarrow columnar, withspirelike crown

BarkBeech gray, with stipplingarranged circumferentiallyFissured on old trees and scalylow down

BudOvoid, with conical tipChestnut brownScale tips freeNonresinous

BranchletsLight brown to yellowGrooved longitudinally in veryshallow, wide groovesHairy 2+Flexibility 2+

FoliageAboveIncomplete VLeaves curved forward at30°-60°, loosely covering shootBelowIncompletely pectinate,pointing 45° forward~ On all sides leaves standingapart from each other,"trying" to~ point all aroundthe branchlet

Leaves3.0+ cm x 2 mmFlattened, linearSides parallel all the wayexcept at base and tipTip rounded, with a tinynotchCurved 2+ in flat planeMargins entire~Flexibility 3+

AbovePea-green to dark green, shinyScattered stomata in dorsalgroove at the very tip in mostplantsGroovedNo midribBelowStomata gray-greenMargins not revoluteMidrib prominent 2+Keeled 3+Resin canals marginal (oncone-bearing branchlets theresin canals are reported to bemedian)

Cones14 x 4 cmCylindrical, with noticeabletaper toward tip, which isroundedPeduncle very shortBracts hidden

Similar Species·~lb2es n~fdrnanniana: buds nonresin~pus; resin canals marginal; leaves on upper side ofshoot cover it without a V, but much more densely arranged; cone br~~ exserted (nothidden as in Abies cilicicaJ; stomata on the lower surface of leaves far whiter thanthp~ pf Abies ciTiciea

23

Abies concolor · 1 1 . WHITE FIR

Abies concolor’s native range is a scatteredone. On the Pacific coast it is principally inCalifornia, in the Sierra Nevada and thecoastal range extending into Mexico. It alsois found in the southern Rocky Mountainstates: Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and NewMexico. The epithet "concolor" refers to thefact that both surfaces of the leaf show thesame blue-gray color.

Abies concolor is hardy in Zone IV VII,and it flourishes in the Arnold Arboretum.Along with Abies homolepis, it was one of thefavorite conifers of Charles Sprague Sargentwhen he was Director. Of the total of 19 nor-mally fast-growing specimens of Abies con-

color (13 Abies concolor, 3 Abies concolor’Violacea’ [bright-blue foliage], 2 Abies con-color ‘Conica’, and 1 Abies concolor’Candi-cans’ [very light pale-blue foliage]/, the Arbo-retum grows 10 that date from the Nine-teenth Century, most of them over 20 m tall,with sturdy trunks of 50-70 cm in diameter atbreast height.

In the Arnold Arboretum Abies concolorseem to have been particularly vulnerable tohurricanes. The records show that of 64 speci-mens introduced since 1874, 41 are no longerwith us; of those, 21 were uprooted in thehurricanes of 1938, 1954, and 1985.

HabitConico-columnar, rounded,different trees favoring one orthe other of these contours,not entirely depending onwhether they grow crowded orin the openCrown roundedOld trees massive, growing to60 m in their native habitatHandsome; one of the best forcultivation

BarkSmooth whitish gray, withresin blisters, in young trees oron new branches of old treesRough and fissured into 5 x 12-cm plates on the lower boles ofold treesCan be of corky texture,somewhat resembling Pseudo-larix amabilis

BudBroadConico-globular7 mm longResinous 2+Scale tips appressed

BranchletYellow-green or olive-greenGlabrous or scarcely hairySurface regular, no grooves

FoliageAboveLeaves pointing forward30°-40° from branchletGray-greenNo VBelowWide VPointing 80° from branchletSpreading, curving upward~Leaves above and belowwidely spaced

Leaves~ 5-6 cm x 2 mmLinear, flattened in cross-sectionSides parallelTips rounded, no notchCurving 3+ towards upper sideMargins entireFlexibility 3+

AboveLight glaucous green~Stomata so numerousrthough small, as to give ahomogeneous glaucous color

~No midrib, but a suggestion

of a shallow grooveBelowStomata as above but with a 1+ +midribFelt as a keelResin canals marginal

Cones5 x 12 cm, but many sizesPurple when young, brownlaterColumnar, but with graduallycurving sides and a taperEnds roundedBracts concealed

24

~il$~ls~ ~~~ts*The widely spa~ec~, glaucous leaves with their characteristic curve are distinctive~tilar Species·.~t~ies g~a~tdis: leaves ~s lang ~ those af ~lt~i~ ~anao~cr~, resin canals ~so marginah and.buds alsa resinous, but with n~ stomata on the upper surfac~s t~f its Ieav~s and theleaves not curved (Abies o~r~~o~or v~_ ?o~r~tla tends tc~ resemble Abies ,~r~u~f~ in thesefeaturesj

25

Abies fargesii Franchet : v 1 1

This slow-growing fir comes from China,where it grows at elevations of between 2,000m and 3,900 m in the provinces of Hupeh,Szechuan, Sikiang, Shensi, and Kansu. It wasdiscovered by the French missionary PerePaul Guillaume Farges, probably about 1892,and introduced by Wilson and planted in1911. It is hardy in the Arnold Arboretum

(Zone V), where there are 2 specimens. Thetaller is 10 m in height. Abies fargesii is rarein collections in the United States, but thereis 1 specimen of it in the Hunnewell Pinetumin Wellesley, Massachusetts.No infraspecific relatives of Abies fargesii

are recorded.

HabitSubconicalBranches upturning, short;reaching 35 m in its nativehabitatThickCrowns of old trees flattened

BarkRough and scaly, even inyouthBudsColumnarResinous6 mmReddish

BranchletiyHomogeneous reddishbrown

GlabrousUndulant grooves and ridges

FoliageAboveDark, shiny greenV presentLeaves pointing at right angles(80°-90°) from branchlet, thoseon the upper side becomingdramatically shorter (to 1 cm)towards the end of branchletBelowPointing 60°-90° from branch-let

Leaves1.5-2.5 cm x 2.5 mmFlattened, linearSides bitapered (taper greater atbase, almost club-shaped)Tip short, rounded with notchNot curvedMargins entireFlexibility 2+

AboveDark, shiny greenNo stomataShallow grooveNo midribBelowStomata gray-whiteMargins nearly revoluteNot keeledResin canals median

ConesPeduncle shortS-8 cm x 3-4 cmBracts markedly exserted andreflexed

Similar Species·In mid-southern China, Abies fargesii has several neighbors with overlapping habitats:Abies chensiensis (plus its varieties smithii, fabri, and georgii~, and Abies fargesii’s ownvarieties faxoniana and sutchuensis. These all have bright red-brown branchlets, exceptfor Abies chensiensis and Abies recurvata, on which they are yellow. Because of therarity of these in cultivation in New England, they are merely listed, not discussed, here.Other than these, Abies fargesii has no competitors for identification.

26

Abies firma ’ 1 1 1 v Zuccarini: MOMI FIR

The range of Abies firma is the southern halfof the Japanese archipelago. It is widespreadthere, growing at elevations of 50-1,600 m,between 30° and 39° North latitude. It thusalso contains the habitat of Abies homolepis,which is discontinuous within it but at ahigher elevation, and which it resemblessomewhat.

Abies firma reaches 50 m in height in itsnative range and has been called the mostbeautiful of the Japanese firs, but, as CharlesSprague Sargent pointed out, although it is

very hardy in Massachusetts, environmentalstress prevents it from assuming the beautifulproportions it demonstrates in Japan. Theepithet "firma" means stout. Sargent wroteof trees in Japan with trunk diameters of 4 -6feet (1.2-1.8 m). It is hardy in Zone VI incultivation in the United States. The ArnoldArboretum has 1 mature specimen that is 50years old and 18 m tall.No infraspecific relatives of Abies firma

have been reported.

HabitReaching 20 m in cultivationwhen matureWide, with horizontalbranchesPyramidal crown becomesbroad and often irregular in oldageHas been called the most beau-tiful of the Japanese firs (Bean,1976; Liu, 1971 /

BarkAs in other species of thegenus, young trees and recentgrowth on old trees havinggray bark that is smooth but ofa pebbly, pigskinlike textureOld bark on old trees roughwith peeling scales rather thanthick plates

BudRound, with a slightly conicaltip5x4mmMilk-chocolate brown,scarcely resinousBud scales appressed

BranchletBrown-green to yellow-greenSurface with shallow fissuresas in Abies homolepis, but farless conspicuousHairs in the fissures, not onthe ridgesFlexibility 1+ +

FoliageAbovePectinate, with a wide VLeaves pointing forward to a75° angle with the branchletBelowPectinate; angle with branchlet60°-80°

Leaves2-3 cm x 2-3 mmFlattened, linearSides bitapered~Tip on young trees bifid,forming a notch with twosharp points on either side ofit

Curved 1+-2+ toward lowerside and 1+ laterallyMargins entire _

Flexibility 1+ +

AboveShiny greenNo stomataShallow groove~No midribBelowStomata gray-green~Margins revoluteNot keeled

Cones10-12 x 4.5 cmCylindrical but tapered frombase to outer end, which isroundedPeduncle shortGreen, turning brownBracts markedly exserted

27

Dist~nguiish~tg Character·The characteristic notch at the outer end of the leaf set between two spiny tips is diag-nostic, even if the tree is an older oneand may show this on a very limited number ofleaves. If an example does not come forward and no leaf tip is notched, one must lookfor the very flattened, broad, bitapered leaves with revolute margins, nonwhite stomatabelow, and scarcely resinous buds.

Similar Species·Abies homolepis: fissures in the branchlets more distinct; leaf stomata whiter below·Abies zecurvata: leaves mostly recurved and leaf stomata green beloyv; buds very resm-ous ; resin canals marginal·Abies chensiensis (not diseussed here~: can have sharp-~ointed, notched leaves, butresin canals marginal and cone bracts hidden

28

Abies fraseri 1 ~ · 1 v 1 1

Abies fraseri has been called the more south-erly version of Abies balsamea. Its range isthe southern Appalachian Mountains, themountainous areas of Virginia, North Caro-lina, and Tennessee. Although listed as

hardy to Zone IV and being a mountain tree,

it has not done well in the Arnold Arboretum.At present our 2 specimens, which were ac-quired as seedlings from the National Arbo-retum, are 13 years old.No infraspecific relatives of Abies fraseri

grow in the Arnold Arboretum.

HabitA small tree, reaching nohigher than 25 mConical in shape when youngLike Abies balsamea, favoredfor Christmas treesBranches tending to ascendfrom the trunk at an angle of45°

BarkDark gray, with resin blistersBecoming rough and fissuredon old trees

Bud ~

Small (2 x 3 mm)Reddish brownScales seen as prominentthrough the invariable coat ofresin

BranchletYellow-gray to red-brownHairs short, stiff, red, inconfluent patchesSurface undulatingFlexibility 2+

FoliageAboveMedium-wide V, often violatedby aberrant leavesLeaves pointing forward60°-80° from branchletBelowPectinateLeaves pointing forward 45° **

from branchlet

Leaves2cmxlmmFlattened, linearSides parallelTip rounded, with tiny notchNot curvedMargins entireFlexibility 2+

AboveGreen, more matte than shinyStomata often in a patch in thetip of the grooveGroove shallowNo midribBelow~Stomata in two ranks of8-12 rows each, whiter thanin Abies balsamea

Resin canals median

Cones4-6 x 2.5-3.5 cmCylindrical, but tapered onboth endsGreen, turning brownSessile~Bracts markedly exserted

~;~:.Similar Species*Abies balsamea: also has resin blisters on bark of young treesDistinguishing Characters*Has more rows of stomata on the under surface of the leaves and thus shows a whiterunderside than does Abies balsamea

-Cones, if present, with bracts exserted

29

Abies grandis ~ GRAND 1 FIR

Abies grandis is hardy in Zone IV and verycommonly cultivated in Britain but rare inNew England. The Arnold Arboretum hastwo specimens, one 86, the other 97 years ofage, that were planted on Hemlock Hill,where there was good protection by the ma-ture hemlocks at that time. They have grown

successfully to heights of 21 m and 22 m andto diameters of 90 cm and 92 cm, but now arehidden away from their neighbors. They arewell worth a visit because of their uniquepectinate foliage.No infraspecific relatives of Abies grandis

grow in the Arnold Arboretum.

HabitTrue to its name, the tallest ofthe true firs, growing to 100 min its native habitatPopular in cultivation in cli-mates where it is truly hardy,growing rapidly (up to 1 m ayear)Branches pendulous at theirbases, turning up at the end sothat the tree in its prime isnarrow columnar and thecrown spirelike

BarkYoung bark (less than 50 yearsold) gray with a pebbled surfaceOld bark thickened, in broad,deep grooves with prominentplates in between

BudRound, resinousVery small (<S mm)Scale tips divergent

BranchletOlive green to brightred-brownFaint hairsShallow longitudinal groovesFlexibility 3+

FoliageAboveLeaves widely pectinate at70°~0° angle from branchletBelow~As in "Above" "

Leaves2-5 cm x 2 mmFlattened, linear; proximalends sharply twistedSides parallelTip rounded and notchedNot curved

Margins entireFlexibility 3+

AboveShiny, dark greenNo stomataProminent grooveNo midribBelowStomata gray-white

Margins subrevoluteNot keeledResin canals marginal

Cones7-10 x 3-3.5 cmSubmarine shapedRounded at both endsGreen, turning brownBracts concealed

Similar Species*Abies concolor var. lowiana: stomata on upper surface of leavesDistinguishing Characters’The long, parallel-sided, pectinately arranged, separately spaced leaves making the bran-chlets flattened sprays, to an extent not seen in any other fir [except Abies concolor var.lowiana)

30

Abies holophylla I 1 ~ NEEDLE FIR

Introduced by Ernest H. Wilson in 1905,Abies holophylla comes from northeasternChina and Korea, where it has a limiteddistribution along the border. It is hardy inZones V and VI and may prove successful incolder and warmer areas as well.The Arnold Arboretum grows 6 plants, but

none of the original Wilson introductionssurvive. The oldest are 2 specimens received

as plants from the Ames private collection inNorth Easton, Massachusetts, in 1923. Theyare, respectively, 20 m and 18 m tall and haveboles 67 cm and 30 cm thick. The bark con-sists of slightly raised, thin, 2.0-2.5-cm-

square plates.No infraspecific relatives of Abies holo-

phylla are recorded.

HabitReaches 40-50 m in its nativehabitatBranches short and ascending,crown broad and pyramidalA graceful, tall tree

Bark~Bark in thin plates on allplants, young and old

’~The smooth, gray, homoge-neous bark of most youngfirs not seen in Abiesholophylla

Bud5 mmOvate-conic; light brownScales appressed, with con-tours easily visibleResinosity varies but averagesslight (1+-0); in very occa-sional plants, 3+

BranchletProminently ridged andsharply fissured longitudinally;both ridges and fissures shal-low and broad, unlike those ofAbies homolepis, which arenarrow

GlabrousMilk-chocolate brown

FoliageAboveV wideLeaves pointing forward 80°from branchletBelowImperfectly pectinate, pointingforward 45° from branchlet~Leaves on both sidesstanding apart from eachother

LeavesLength: 2.5-3.5 cmWidth: 2 mmFlattened, linearSides parallel~Tip long drawn-out point,no notch0-1+ curved in flat planeMargins entireFlexibility 2+AboveMatte greenNo stomataGroove very shallowNo midribBelow~Stomata gray-greenMargins not revoluteNot keeledResin canals median

Cone8 x 10 cmCylindrical, with rounded endsPeduncle shortBracts concealed

Distinguishing Character-Youngest bark scaly on trees of any ageSimilar Species·Abies borisii-regis: leaves often pointed, but darker green; branchlets hairier·Firs with conspicuously pointed leaves (excluding Abies bracteata, which is extremelyrare and has the widest [3 mm] and longest [up to 6 cm] leaves of the firs): leaves or-derly, glossy green above and white below

-Firs with leaves that stand apart from each other (e.g., Abies concolor, Abies grandis,and Abies cilicica): tips of leaves not pointed

31

Abies homolepis ’ 1 1 1 v i. 1

Abies homolepis grows in the southern halfof Japan, between 33° and 37° North latitudeat elevations of between 700 m and 2,200 m.Its range, which is discontinuous, overlapsthat of Abies firma, which is more denselydistributed. "Homolepis" means "similarscales." It formerly was called Abies brachy-phylla ("short leaves"), in contrast to manyother firs. It is hardy to Zone V. CharlesSprague Sargent, writing 70 years ago, re-marked on how well Abies homolepis andAbies concolor flourished here in their earlyyears. They have continued to do so.

TheArnoldArboretum’s holdings ofAbieshomolepis and its infraspecific relatives are18 trees, several about 100 years old. (Thetotal number of plants of this group of Abieshomolepis growing in the Arnold Arboretumis: Abies homolepis, 9; Abies Xumbellata,8; Abies homolepis forma tomomi, 1 ; or, 18 8in all. Seven were acquired before 1900 andothers soon thereafter [2 in 1902 and 4 in1908]. ~ As with Abies concolor, the tallest are20-25 m tall, and their boles are up to 100 cmin diameter. They are important features of

the Arboretum’s Pinetum, having fulfilledSargent’s predictions. It is of interest, how-ever, that of all 34 specimens of Abies ho-molepis and its relatives planted starting in1880 none of the 16 that are no longer with uswere uprooted in hurricanes. For contrastwith Abies concolor in this respect, see page23.

Abies XumbellataAbies xumbellata is a relative of Abieshomolepis, recognized by Ernest Wilsonunder the name Abies homolepis var. umbel-lata. It differs in that its cone tips are umbili-cated to more than those of the species. Mostrecent opinion considers it to be a hybridbetween Abies homolepis and Abies firma,and its name has been changed to Abiesxumbellata.

Abies homolepis forma tomomiAbies homolepis forma tomomi has slightlyshorter leaves and is less densely branchedthan the species.

HabitA broad-growing tree with longbranches and a dome-shapedcrown, conspicuously broad inold age

BarkRough and scaly over the resinblisters, unlike most other firs,even on young treesScales small and thin at first,in old trees coarse, with 3 x 10-cm scales

BudsRounded, with a conical point6 mmResinous 2+Scales appressed but promi-nent

BranchletYellow-brownGlabrous

9’Longitudinally ridged andfissured with fissures sonarrow that the wholecontour is grossly smooth

Flexibility 1+

FoliageAboveConspicuous VLeaves pointing 80°-90° frombranchletsBelowIncompletely pectinate,

pointing 60°-90° from branch-let

Leaves2.5 cm x 2 mmFlattened, linearSides parallel to 1+ + bitaperedTip rounded, sometimes entirebut usually a small notchCurved 0-1 +AboveDark green, not conspicuouslyshinyNo stomataGroove mediumNo midribBelowStomata gray-whiteMargins not revoluteMidrib 1+ +Not keeledResin canals median

32

Cones8x3cmPurple when young, brown whenmature

Evenly bitapered (submarine-shaped)SessileBracts hidden

~~S~3l~t~~tig Characters·~~ sturdy, yellow, giabr~ bxan~let~ ~th the tig~t, deep £~a,sux~s ax~ neairly~ unique~ina.i~a~c Species·~4.b~es ~o~~~.~~ll~: branchlets prominently ridged but not with narrow fissu~r~~F leaveslong and pointed

·A~~es firma t~~s o£ young leaves bi£~c~; Even without tb~t~ l~eau~ broad~ very flat,bitape~red; furrows c~£ branchlets not ~x~r~c~~ and deep

33

Abies koreana 1 E. · Wilson : KOREAN FIR

The range ofAbies koreana is southern Koreaand the volcanic island of Cheju Do (Quel-part) up to elevations of 2,000 m. The typespecimen is in the herbarium of the ArnoldArboretum in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Itis hardy from Zone V to Zone VII.The Arnold Arboretum grows six speci-

mens of Abies koreana, one of them an origi-nal specimen from the group introduced tothe West by Ernest Wilson in 1917. It is 18 m

tall and has a trunk 70 cm in diameter.The prostrate forms, usually called Abies

koreana ’Prostrate Beauty’, follow the ten-dency of the types to set cones when young.They are popular in dwarf-conifer collec-tions. Six specimens are growing in the Ar-nold Arboretum’s collections of dwarf coni-fers, where there are also two plants of Abieskoreana ’Aurea’.

HabitA slow-growing tree, rarelyreaching more than 20 m inheightPyramidal when youngCrown becoming broad withageFoliage dark and rather dense

BarkGraySmooth when young, later

very rough, with deep groovesand platesResinous

Bud5 mmRound, with blunt, pyramidaltipCovered with resin thatobscures the scales

BranchletLight gray-greenLustrousScattered hairsNo undulations or furrows

FoliageAbove and below~Ixnves pointing all around,

less dense belowNo VPointing forward at anglesfrom branchlet of 45° toalmost 90°Viewed end-on, a circularrosette of green leaves offset-ting the cluster of threeresinous buds, with flashes ofwhite to the under surface

Leaves1-1.5 cm x 2+ cmFlattened, linearSides bitapered but wider at tipTip curved, with tiny notch orno notch

Curved 1+ toward upper side

Margins entireFlexibility 1+-2+AboveMatte dark greenNo stomataShallow grooveNo midribBelowStomata very white and broadMargins not revoluteNot keeledMidrib narrowResin canals median (occasion-ally submarginal)ConesS-7 x 2.5-2.8 cmCylindrical; narrower atrounded endsViolet when youngBracts markedly exsertedCones readily produced~Many young plants bearcones

Similar Species·Abies sachalinensis and Abies veitchii: leaves longer but conspicuously more flexiblethan those of Abies koreana

-Abies sachalinensis: stomata on undersides of leaves dull white; bark smooth until anadvanced age

·Abies veitchii: undersides of leaves very white but bark smooth and bract scales of thecones hidden or their tips barely visible*Abies nephrolepis: leaves also longer than those of Abies koreana, linear (notbitapered), with dull-white stomata below; bark smooth; more hairs on branchlet; conescales kidney-shaped

34

Abies lasiocarpa I (Hooker) , SUBALPINE 1

With the exception of Abies balsamea, Abieslasiocarpa is the most widely distributedspecies of Abies in the United States. Hardyin Zones V-VI, it grows from southernAlaska to the Mexican border in the RockyMountains (35°-63° North latitude), often inassociation with Picea engelmannii. In addi-tion, it occurs in the mountains of Washing-ton and Oregon.

"Lasiocarpa" (meaning "hairy fruit") re-fers to the hirsuteness of of the cones. "Sub-alpine," an adjective commonly applied tothis species, is appropriate, since Abies lasio-carpa is a mountain tree.

Alfred Rehder stated that Abies lasiocarpa"does not do well in the eastern states." It ishardy in the Arnold Arboretum, which con-tains three mature trees in addition to thevariety arizonica. The growth of the three

has been slow to average. Acquired in 1942,1958, and 1966, they are 11, 3, and 2.5 m tall,respectively.

Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonicaAbies lasiocarpa var. arizonica (Merriam)Lemmon is a common variety, more popularas an ornamental than the species. It is distin-guished from the species by its more in-tensely whitish blue leaves, which haveemarginate tips, and by its corky bark (henceits common English name, cork-bark fir). I.There is one handsome specimen in theArnold Arboretum. Dating from 1932, it isnow 20 m tall; its trunk is 40 cm in diameter.

In the Arboretum’s dwarf-conifer collec-tion there are three specimens of Abies lasio-carpa ’Compacta’.

HabitNarrow, spirelike, with short,upcurved, dense branchesCan grow to 40 m but winds attimberline in its native habitatdiscourage such statures

BarkSmooth, gray, slightly rough-ened when young, with resinblistersBark of older trees rougher,fissuredBark on some plants withrusty tinge

Bud5-6 mmOvateResinousScales obscured by the resin

BranchletSilvery tan, almost fawn-colored on some plantsGrooved shallowlyNo fissuresHairy 1 +-scattered, in grooves

FoliageAboveGrayIncomplete V or no VLeaves pointing forward at 45°from branchletBelowIncompletely pectinate, leaves

pointing forward 30°~0° frombranchlet

Leaves2.5 cm x <2 mmFlattened, linear rSides parallelTip round, with tiny notchCurved 1+ toward uppersurfaceMargins entireFlexibility 2+

Above~fAfatte green2014gra~~Distal half with two bandsof several rows of tinystomata

~Shallow grooveNo midribBelowTwo bands of light-graystomata

Margins not revoluteMidrib prominentResin canals median

Cones8-10 x 3.5 cmCylindrical to submarine-shapedBracts hiddenPurple when young

35

Distinguishing Characters·One of the few members of the genus with full lines of stomata on the upper surface ofleaves, the others being Abies concolor, Abies magnifica, Abies pinsapo, and Abiesprocera

Similar Species·Abies concolor: leaves much longer and more widely spaced spaced; resin canals mar-ginal

-Abies magnifica: leaves quadrangular in cross section and running parallel to the shootbefore spreading from it

-Abies pinsapo: leaves 4+ stiff, at right angles to the branchlet, very pointed-Abies procera: leaves like those of Abies magnifica but not quadrangular in crosssection

36

Abies magnifica 1 A. Murray : RED 0 FIR

Abies magnifica grows in northern Califor-nia and southern Oregon, its range beingmore southerly and at slightly higherelevations (35° 40’-45° 3’ North latitude and1,400-2,700 m) than that of Abies procera(41°-48° 30’ North latitude and 900-2,000m), which in some ways it resembles, par-ticularly in the presence of stomata on theupper surface of its leaves and the arrange-ment of the leaves at their origins from thebranchlets. It is reputed to be hardy in thewarmer parts of Zone V but less frost hardythan Abies procera. The name "red fir" de-rives from the color of the bark. The transla-tion of the Latin name to "magnificent fir" ismore appropriate and is sometimes used.The Arnold Arboretum grows only 1 speci-

men-Abies magnifica ‘Nana’-which is 50

cm tall and not thriving, but no specimens ofthe species. We list it here chiefly for com-parison with Abies procera, which also ap-pears in the Arboretum only in its dwarfform. The Hunnewell Pinetum in Wellesley,Massachusetts, does possess a specimen 17 7years old and 1.5 m tall. It is healthy but notfast-growing.

Abies magnifica var. shastensisEven though the Arnold Arboretum does notpossess a specimen of it, we list Abiesmagnifica var. shastensis Lemmon here be-cause it is well known as a natural variety. Itis distinguished from the type because thebract scales on its cones are exserted. Thissuggests that it is a hybrid between Abiesmagnifica and Abies procera.

HabitA columnar tree with aspirelike head, one of the mostelegant knownCan grow to 70 m in the wild(trees cultivated in Britain forover 100 years have reachedabout half that height)Trunks of mature trees oftenbranchless for half theirheights

BarkSmooth (but for resin blistersin youth) and very light grayBecoming deeply furrowed m

bg~e~revealing reddish innerbar

BudsOvoid, acute at tipBrownSmall, 4 mmHard to see because terminalleaves crowd about themResinous on the upper aspect

BranchletsRed-brownShallowly grooved longitudi-nallyHairy

FoliageAbove

Gray-greenNo V, leaves parallelling bran-chlets at their origins, thenturning at right angle outwardand upwardBelowAs in "Above," but spray moreflattened

Leaves2-3 cm x 2 mmFlattened, linearSides parallelTips rounded, without notchNot curved but angled asdescribedMargins entireFlexibility 1+ +

AboveGray-green~Stomata present in two fullbands

~Nogr ooveSmall midribBelowStomata in two gray-whiteranksKeel presentResin canals marginal

Cones15-25 x 10-12 cmSessile or nearly soPurple at first, brown whenmature

Nearly cylindrical, thickBract scales hidden

37

Similar Species·Abies procera (its only "look-alike"): leaves with dorsal groove (appear diamond-shapedin cross-section); cone bracts not hidden _

Abies nephrolepis ~ . FIR

The native range of Abies nephrolepis isNorth Korea. Some have called it the eastern-Asiatic form of Abies sibirica. The specificepithet "nephrolepis" refers to its cone

scales, which, when looked at individually,are kidney-shaped; this characteristic is notdifferent enough to distinguish it from othermembers of the genus. Alfred Rehder and

Ernest Wilson considered that its nameshould be Abies sibirica var. nephrolepis.The Arnold Arboretum has 3 specimens,

all of them over 60 years of age. One, formachlorocarpa Wilson (cones green whenyoung), was introduced by Wilson in 1917 andis now a beautiful tree 20 m in height. Noother infraspecific forms are known.

HabitColumnar, broad, conical,short branchesCrown conical, becomingirregular

BarkBeech gray, pebblyBecomes shallowly fissured onold trees

BudConical, bluntLight reddish brownResinousScales prominent in reliefunder the resin

BranchletYellow-grayShallowly ribbed or groovedHairy 2+

FoliageAboveV; pointing forward 60° frombranchletBelowPectinate; pointing forward 60°from branchlet

Leaves2cmx2mmFlattened, linearSides parallelTip rounded, with notchNot curvedMargins entireFlexibility 3+

AboveDull greenNo stomataGroove presentNo midribBelowStomata dull whiteMargins not revoluteNot keeledi midrib thinResin canals median

Cones5 x 2.5 cmCylindrico-ellipsoidPurple, turning brownBracts exserted

Similar Species·Abies sachalinensis and Abies sibirica (see the table on page 45)

-:<::..,.:.:;..::.:--::~~,;,a:~:..-:.:.-v:<~:..-r.::::..:....i ::-r:<:::.r:-<:,:.:

38

Abies nordmanniana I (Steven) 1 . CAUCASIAN 1

The range of Abies nordmanniana lies justeast of the eastern shore of the Black Sea.Introduced to the West (Britain) in 1836, it isa strong, beautiful addition to collections inthe British Isles. Named after AlexanderNordmann ( 1803~6j, a Finnish botanist andone of its discoverers, Abies nordmannianais hardy in Zones V-VII.

The Arnold Arboretum acquired two ma-ture, narrow and tall specimens from a nurs-ery in Holland in 1903. Twenty-six meters

tall and with boles 55 and 64 cm in diameter,they are among the most impressive speci-mens in the Arboretum’s Pinetum.The only infraspecific relative in the Ar-

nold Arboretum is Abies nordmanniana’Pendula’, which grows at the same rate as thespecies but differs from it by the exaggeratedpendulosity of its branches. Although 30years old, it has lost its crown and is only 2 mtall.

Habit

Growing to 60 m in the Cau-casus MountainsConical, with a narrow,spirelike crownMain branches horizontal,lower branches sweepingdownwardsLiving up to its reputation ofhaving an impressive, lordlyaspectStarting to grow late in spring(a characteristic useful in culti-vation), which makes it insen-sitive to late frosts

BarkSmooth above to rough belowGrayish when smooth;brownish when rough

Bud~Red-brown, conical-ovate,not resinous

BranchletOlive, with a brownish tingeSurface shallowly grooved(fissured) longitudinallyNo undulations or ridgesCovered with moderatelydense, short, stiff hairs

FoliageAbove~Leaves on most shoots

shingled, i.e., no V, but allpointin forward at anangle of 35°-45° from theshoot and covering it

BelowLeaves pointing forward at a60° angle eImperfectly pectinate, makinga wide, irregular V

Leaves2-3 cm x 2.5 mmLinear, curving 2+ in the flat

plane 2+, thickened in a keel,Midrib 2+, thickened in a keel,as are the side ribsSides parallelTip rounded, notchedCurving 2+ in the flat planeMargins entireFlexibility 1+ +AboveGlossy 1+ +No stomataGroove prominentMidrib prominentBelowStomata white-grayMargins not revoluteKeel on midribResin canals marginal

Cones5 x 14 cmCylindrical, tip pointedBracts just exserted

Similar Species=Abies albaa leaves also shiny, with notched tips, nonresinous buds, and hairy bran~~·lets, but arranged in a pectinate V above the branchlet

-Abies amabilis : leaves above likewise cover the branchlet but are flexible 3~ and vcca-sionally have some stomata on the tip of the upper surface

39

Abies pinsapo I Boissier : SPANISH 1

The native range of Abies pinsapo is a local-ized one near Ronda in southern Spain, whereit was discovered and described and whence itwas introduced to cultivation early in theEighteenth Century by Pierre Boissier

(1810-85). Because its short, stiff, sharpleaves emerge at right angles, it has beencalled by some the "hedgehog fir." It is notuncommon in cultivation and is hardy from

Zone VI into parts of Zone VIII.

Infraspecific RelativesThe most common horticultural variety is’Glauca’, one specimen of which is in theholdings of the Arnold Arboretum. It wasaccessioned 44 years ago and is a sturdy plant7.5 m tall.

HabitRelatively short branches setin pseudowhorls, making for acolumnar, or narrow, pyrami-dal treeGrowing up to 30 m

BarkRemaining remarkabl smoothon the lower trunks of certaintrees, but rough in most

BudSmall (3 mm)ResinousScale tips visible in reliefunder the resin

BranchletGlabrousSurface rusty redConspicuously grooved andfissured

Foliage~Short leaves radiatingaround branchlet

AboveLeaves at right angle (90°) tobranchletBelowLeaves at right angle (90°) tobranchletNo V on either side but leavesless dense on undersideSome leaves occasionallyrecurved

Leaves1-1.5 cm x 2 mmFlattened, linearSides parallel, bordering onbitapered~Tip an obtuse horny point;not notched

Curving 1+ toward undersideMargins entire~Flexibility 0

AboveMatte greenCovered with tiny whitestomata in two bands on eitherside of slightly elevated midribBelowTwo bands of gray stomataMidrib definite but not

conspicuousNot keeledResin canals median

Cones10-12 x 3~ cmSubcylindrical, submarine-shapedSessileBracts hidden

Distinguishing Characters·Leaves short, stiff, at right angles to branchletSimilar Species·Looks superficially like a spruce, particularly the tiger-tail spruce (Picea polita~, whichhas similarly stiff leaves

*The roughness of the branchlet surfaces at the points where the leaves are attachedresembles that seen in Picea polita

·If no sterigmas at the leaf attachments and if specimen belongs to the genus Abies, theonly confusion would be with a hybrid of Abies pinsapo and Abies nordmanniana

40

(Abies Xinsignis), Abies cephalonica (Abies XvilmoriniiJ, or Abies numidica (AbiesXmarocana/; though uncommon, these hybrids of Abies pinsapo must be suspected inspecimens with stiff, short, prickly leaves that are not entirely characteristic of thespecies, Abies pinsapo, itself

41

Abies procera I ~ ’ 1 ’ ~ 1 i 1

One of the tallest trees of the West Coast("procera" means tall, or slender), the noblefir grows on the western slope of the CascadeMountains, from Washington to upper north-ern California. Its range is continuous withthat of Abies magnifica, which, although itoverlaps with that ofAbies procera, is primar-ily south of the California-Oregon border. Asnoted under Abies magnifica, these two spe-cies can be regarded as "nonidentical twins." "

They share many characteristics.Abies procera was described by David

Douglas in 1825 and introduced into GreatBritain, where it has always flourished. Al-though none of the original introductions are

still living, some survived until 1968. Speci-mens planted as long ago as 1840 were regis-tered as still living in the early 1970s (Bean,1976, Volume 1, page 65). The only examplesof the species in the Arnold Arboretum aredwarfs, the well known beautiful cultivars’Glauca’ and’Glauca Prostrata’, on which thecharacteristics of the typical foliage can bestudied.

In the United States Abies procera is justhardy to Zone V but not common. The Hun-newell Pinetum in Wellesley, Massachu-setts, grows one specimen (under its earliername, Abies nobilis). It is 4.5 m high, and thebole is 5 cm in diameter at breast height.

HabitReaching 80 m in its nativehabitatBole straight; can remain un-branched for over 40 mBranches relatively short,making for a narrow crownthat is, however, rounded at itstop

BarkSmooth, reddish gray for manyyears, eventually becomingrough with soft plates

BudVery small, about 3 mm (hardto see among the terminalforward-growing leaves)ResinousScale tips divergent

BranchletReddish brownHairy 1+ +Surface regularSuggestion of longitudinalgrooves

FoliageAboveIncomplete V; most leaves in awide V, but many singlesarising in center of it; all

pointing 70°-90° from thebranchletBelowPectinate with occasionalstrays; pointing forward60°~0° from the branchlet~Leaves both above andbelow characteristicallyrunniag forward parallel tothe branchlet for 2 mrnbefore departing at theangle mentioned (seen moreeasily from the lower aspectof the branchlet); similar inthis feature to Abies magni-fica

Leaves2-3cmx2mmLinear, flattenedTip rounded, notched or notnotchedCurved 1-2+ toward lowersurfaceMargins entireFlexibility 1-2+

AboveMatte green~Stomata in bands on bothsides of shallow groove (insome cases a lens is neededto observe this)

No midrib but upper surfacecan be slightly convex andsurmounted by the groovewhich can change to a midribnear the tipBelowStomata small, numerous,whiteMargins not revoluteMidrib prominentResin canals marginal

Cones10-15x6-7 cmSub cylindrical (submarine- orblimplike)Green when young, turningbrownBracts strongly exserted andreflexed

42

#:. ,

Similar Species·Abies concolor: stomata in full bands on the upper surfaces of leaves but leaves long,flexible, widely spaced

·Abies lasiocarpa: stomata in full bands on the upper surfaces of leaves but leaves extendfrom the branchlet directly, with no appressing of the initial few millimeters; resmcanals median; cone bract scales hidden

·Abies magnifica: stomata in full bands on the upper surfaces of leaves (resembles Abiespxz~~x~ more than any other species), but leaves have no groove on their upper surfaceand cones have hidden bracts (Note: Cone bracts of Abies magnifica var. shastensisexserted; if none available, one must rely on leaf characteristics)

·Abies pinsapo: stomata in full bands on the upper surfaces of leaves but lcaves rigid 4+,with no groove on upper side; tips horny; at right angles to branchlets

-See also Abies lasiocarpa

43

Abies recurvata ~ M. T. Masters: MIN 1

The English name of Abies recurvata derivesfrom the Min River in central China (Sze-chuan), where the tree grows between 25° and45° North latitude. Hardy in Zone V, it isuncommon in cultivation.

Three plants grow in the Arnold Arbore-tum, all from the original introduction by

Wilson in 1911. It has been a slow grower; thetallest of the Arboretum’s trees is 9 m tall.The Hunnewell Pinetum in Wellesley, Mas-sachusetts, grows one plant.

Abies recurvata is not recorded as havingcultivars or infraspecific forms.

HabitReaches 40 m in its nativehabitatPyramidal, the crown becom-ing flattened with age

BarkGray or red-brownSmooth in youth, laterbecoming rough with 2- to 3-cm-long flaking platesBud d5-7 mm or largerLight grayish brown with aroseate tingeCovered with gray resinthrough which the outlines ofthe prominent bud scales canbe seen in relief

BranchletSilvery yellow-grayGlabrousFlexibility 1+Surface undulate with shallow,wide grooves and ridges

FoliageAboveStiff sturdy leaves point back-wards, often to 60° frombranchlet~Many leaves nearly at aright angle, occasionallyslightly forward

BelowSame as "Above"

Leaves2-3 cm x 3 mmFlattened, linearSides bitaperedTip pointedFlexibility 1-2+

AboveShiny green, often paleNo stomataShallow grooveNo midribBelowStomata greenMargins revolute 1+ +Not keeledResin canals marginal

Cones6x4cmChunky, conical, with roundedendsPurple until maturity, thenbrownBracts hidden

Distinguishing Characters. Leaves recurved and green beneath, making it difficult to confuse Abies recurvata withany other species of Abies

44

Abies sachalinensis M. T. Masters: SACHALIN B 1

Abies sachalinensis (formerly called Abiesveitchii var. sachalinensis ) is restricted to theKurile and Sachalin Islands and to Hokkaido,the northern island of Japan. Its relationshipto certain neighboring firs-Abies sibiricaand Abies nephrolepis-has been noted. It ishardy from Zones II-VI. The Arnold Arbore-tum grows seven specimens, two of them atthe Case Estates in Weston, Massachusetts.Two of those growing at the Arnold Arbore-tum itself (in Jamaica Plain) are 105 and 93

years old and 17 and 18 m tall, respectively.One of our specimens is the variety mayri-ana, which came as seed in 1932 fromHokkaido. It is now 12 m tall.

In addition to Abies sachalinensis var.mayriana Miyabe & Kudo, the only other re-corded infraspecific relative is Abies sachal-inensis var. nemorensis Mayr, which hassmaller cones than the species and hiddenbracts; it does not grow in the Arnold Arbore-tum.

HabitGrowing to 40 mColumnarDense foliage in the crown

Bark

GrayPebbly, otherwise smooth,even in older trees, but inthem finally becoming scaly

BudConical, with a domed tipResinous 4+Scales prominently bulging,but tips not spreadingConspicuously whiteBranchletGray-brownFurrowed gently longitudinallyHairy 3+

FoliageAboveIncomplete V, leaves pointingforward 30°BelowPectinate with occasionalstrays; leaves pointing forward30°; rather closely set

Leaves3-3.5 cm x 1.25-1.5 mmFlattened, linearSides parallel the whole lengthof the leafTip blunt, with tiny notchCurved 1+ +Margins entireFlexibility 3+

AboveShiny greenNo stomata (occasionally a fewin the groove at the tip)Groove well definedNo midribBelowDull whiteStomata very small andnumerous in narrow bandsMargins not revoluteNot keeledResin canals median and con-spicuously large

Cones7x2cmBetween ellipsoid and cylindri-calCoffee-coloredBracts exserted

Similar Species*Abies nephrolepis and Abies sibixic~ (which have thin, £~exibl.e, regularly ar~ange~leaves) are the species that most resemble Abies sachalinensis (see Abies sibirica forc~iscussic~~n~ I

45

Abies sibirica I ’ 1 1 1 SIBERIAN B 1

The range of Abies sibirica lies between 40°and 140° East longitude, from Moscow al-most to the Sea of Okhotsk, the mostextensive in the genus Abies. Because of itsgreat resemblance to its neighboring species,Abies sachalinensis, a systematic descrip-

tion of Abies sibirica will not be made below,but only its differences from Abies sachal-inensis mentioned. It is hardy to Zone II.

The Arnold Arboretum grows one speci-men, now 40 years old, that is 12 m tall and 30cm in diameter.

Similar Species·Abies saehalinensis: branchlets ribbed (not ribbed in Abies sibirica/, stomata belowdull white (white in Abies sibirica), cone bracts exserted (hidden or only slightlyexserted in Abies sibirica/. See the table, below.

1 1 Three Similar ~’ 1 Abies

Three members of the genus Abies, neighbors in eastern Asia, Abies nephrolepis, Abiessachalinensis, and Abies sibirica, are strikingly similar. All three have resinous buds;hairy branchlets; narrow, flexible, linear leaves with parallel sides; and large, median resincanals. The following table lists some features-unfortunately not always constant-thathelp to distinguish them.

46

Abies veitchii ~ . i 1 1

A rather small fir whose native range extendsfrom central Japan southwards in detachedpopulations, Abies veitchii was introducedto cultivation in the West by John GouldVeitch (1839-70), the illustrious Englishbotanist and nurseryman. Veitch made twoextensive collecting trips to the Far East, onein 1860 and one in 1864-66. He died in 1870at the age of 31, leaving his name attached tohundreds of plants, and a legacy of plant col-lecting that has been carried on in his namefor 100 years. It was under the Veitch firmthat Ernest Wilson got his start.

Abies veitchii is subalpine and seldomseen below 1,500 m. It is hardy in ZonesIII-vi.

Six specimens grow in the Arnold Arbore-tum. Two of them are historic. One datesfrom 1895, having been provided by theVeitch Nursery; it is 17 m tall and has a bolethat is 47 cm thick. The other historic speci-men is Abies veitchii var. olivacea (theepithet olivacea derives from the olive-greencolor of the cone when it is young). Intro-duced by Ernest H. Wilson in 1915, it is 12.3m tall and has a trunk 40 cm in diameter. Ascion of Wilson’s tree was grafted onto anunderstock of Abies balsamea in 1959.Planted out in the Pinetum in 1969, it isthriving. These are the only infraspecificrelatives of Abies veitchii.

HabitSlender, with short, levelbranches when youngCylindrical, with a spirelikecrown; in maturity, branchesmore wide-spreading, forminga broadly pyramidal tree

BarkGray, becoming only slightlyroughened in old ageSmooth, with resin blistersBud4 mmSpherico-conicalRed-brownResinous

BranchletGray-yellowCovered with short hairsSurface regularUnribbed

FoliageAboveV occasionally incompleteLeaves pointing forward 45°from branchletBelowPectinateLeaves pointing forward 45°from branchlet

Leaves2-3cmx2mmFlattened, linearSides parallelTip truncated, notched

’

Not curvedMargins entireFlexibility 3-4+

AboveShiny greenNo stomataGroove shallowNo midribBelow~Stomata chalky blue-whiteMargins revolute 1+ +Midrib and marginal greenbands thinResin canals median to sub-marginal

Cones6x2cmCylindricalSessilePurple, turning dark brownBracts slightly exserted

Similar Species·Abies nephrolepis, Abies sachalinensis, and Abies sibirica: leaves also parallel-sided,flexible; resin canals median; branchlets hairy; and buds resinous, but the whiteness ofthe undersides of their leaves far less bright

·Abies delavayi group: undersides of leaves also white, but branchlets conspicuouslyred-brown and midrib and marginal green bands of leaves very prominent; leaves stiffer

47

and resin canals marginal; undersides of leaves tending to be revolute-Abies koreana: undersides of leaves bright white, but leaves radially arranged and con-spicuously shorter than those of Abies veitchii; cone bracts prominently exserted andreflexed

Glossary of Terms

Adaxial. Facing toward the axis.Diaecious. Having staminate and pistillateelements on separate plants.Emarginate. With a shallow notch at theapex (as of a leaf).Entire. Margin continuous, not broken bydivisions, teeth, or serrations.Exserted. Projecting beyond an encirclingorgan or part.Glabrous. Smooth; free of roughness orhairs.

Hypoderm. In a leaf, the layer of thick-walled cells between the epiderm and themesophyll.Glairy. Having the appearance of white-of-egg. (Said of resin.)Infraspecific. Of taxonomic rank lowerthan a species. For convenience, the rank ofcultivar is included here, although strictlyit is inaccurate to do so.

Keeled. Having an under surface longitudi-nally ridged like the bottom of a boat.Lenticel. Roughened area on a plant’ssurface that allows exchange of gassesbetween the atmosphere and the internalstructure of the plant.Linear. Long and narrow. In the case of aconifer leaf, the term infers that the leaf’ssides are parallel.

Midrib, siderib. Narrow, green, longitudi-nal bands on the under surface of a leaf,framing the bands of stomata. If the midribis raised, the leaf is "keeled."Monaecious. Having staminate and pistil-late elements on the same plant.Pectinate. An arrangement, usually ofleaves, in which parts relate to each otherin a comblike fashion. Most Abies leavesspread in two lateral ranks, creating a "V"between them that can vary from wide toincomplete or nearly absent.Resin canal or resin duct. An intercellularspace lined with resin-secreting cells.Revolute. Rolled backward or downward, asthe edge of a leaf.Sessile. Attached immediately at the base,with no intervening stalk or pedicel.Sterigama. A peg-shaped projection fromthe surface of a stem or of a branchlet towhich a leaf is attached.Stoma (plural, stomata). The pore in a leaf,usually on its lower surface, appearing as awhitish or grayish dot, and arranged inrows.

Umbilicate. Depressed or indented like anavel.

48

.

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Dallimore, W. S., and A. B. Jackson, 1966. A Hand-book of Coniferae and Ginkgoaceae. FourthEdition. London: Arnold. 729 pages.

Flint, Harrison L., 1983. Landscape Plants forEastern North America: Exclusive of Floridaand the Immediate Gulf Coast. New York:Wiley. 677 pages.

Krussmann, Gerd, 1985. Manual of CultivatedConifers. Translated by Michael E. Epps. Port-land, Oregon: Timber Press. 361 pages.

Liu, T.-S., 1971. A Monograph of the Genus Abies.National Taiwan University Press. 609 pages.

Mitchell, A. F. 1972. Conifers in the British Isles.London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. 322pages. 322 pages.

Rehder, Alfred, 1940. Manual of Cultivated Treesand Shrubs. Second Edition. New York:Macmillan. 966 pages.

Shaw, George Russell, 1914. The Genus Pinus.Cambridge, Massachusetts: The RiversidePress. 96 pages

Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro), circa 19 B.C. The~Eneid. Book II. In: J. W. Mackail, translator,1950, Virgil’s Works. New York: Modem Li-brary, 1950.

Warren, Richard, 1982. "Spruces in the ArnoldArboretum," Arnoldia, Volume 42, Number 3,(Summer), pages 102-129.

Richard Warren, M.D., is Honorary Curator of theConifer Collection and an Associate of the ArnoldArboretum. He is Professor of Surgery Emeritus in theHarvard Medical School, where he had taught fortwenty-seven years, retiring in 1973. Ethan W. Johnsonis Curatorial Assistant in the Plant Records Depart-ment of the Arnold Arboretum. In 1980 he received hisassociate degree in forestry from Paul Smiths Collegeand, in 1984, his bachelor’s degree in environmentalhorticultute from the University of Connecticut. Hecame to the Arnold Arboretum in 1985.