Pinaceae Abies beshanzuensis M. H. Wu
Etymology
Abies refers to ‘to rise’; indicating large trees.
beshanzuenzis refers to ‘Baishanzu’; the mountain it was found on.
Colloquial Name
Baishanzu fir
Description
These trees grow up to 15 meters tall, with trunks reaching about half a meter in diameter. The trunk is straight, cylindrical, and supports a broad, conical, or sometimes flat-topped crown. Young trees have smooth, whitish-gray bark, while older trees develop bark that becomes rough, splitting into vertical fissures and scaly patches.
The main branches are long and spread out horizontally, with the upper ones curving upward. Smaller branches overlap slightly as they spread outward. The twigs are thick and sturdy, starting off light yellow before turning grayish-brown. Their surface is ridged and grooved between the leaves and may have a fine layer of soft hairs or be completely smooth. The marks left by fallen leaves are round to oval in shape.
The buds are oval or cone-shaped, sometimes slightly sticky with resin. The bud scales are light yellowish-brown, triangular-oval in shape, and have a faint ridge along the center. These scales remain on the tree for several years. The needles grow in a spiral pattern along the branches. The lower ones spread outward in a comb-like arrangement, while the upper ones angle forward. The shortest needles at the top curve backward, creating a small open space between them. On cone-bearing branches, the needles are densely packed and point upward. They range from 1 to 4.2 cm long and 2.5 to 3.5 mm wide. The base of each needle is slightly twisted. They are long, flat, and dark green with a glossy surface on top, while the underside has two silvery-white bands. The tip may be slightly notched or split into two points. Stomata, the tiny pores used for gas exchange, are absent on the upper surface but form two broad bands on the lower surface, separated by a raised midrib.
The pollen cones grow in the leaf axils and are about 2 to 2.5 cm long. They are yellowish with small red structures that produce pollen. The seed cones grow upright on short, thick stalks. They are oblong-conical, tapering to a flat or slightly indented tip, and measure 7 to 12 cm long and 3 to 4.5 cm wide. When young, they are pale yellowish-green, later turning light yellowish-brown before ripening to a light brown color.
The scales that make up the cone are broad and fan-shaped, with small ear-like lobes at the base. In the middle of the cone, they measure 1.8 to 2.5 cm in length and 2.5 to 3 cm in width. The surface has fine ridges and may have a sparse layer of tiny hairs. The upper edge is smooth or slightly irregular, while the base is attached to a short stalk. The bracts, small leaf-like structures inside the cone, are narrow and spoon-shaped, with an upper edge that curves backward. They measure 2 to 2.5 cm long, with tiny pointed tips about 1 mm in length. The tips extend outward from the cone and bend backward slightly.
The seeds are oblong to oval-shaped, measuring 6 to 9 mm long and 3 to 4 mm wide. They have wedge-shaped wings that are slightly angled, measuring 6 to 10 mm long and 5 to 9 mm wide. The wings are light brown, helping the seeds disperse in the wind.
Distribution
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Habitat
The natural habitats for Abies beshanzuensis are subtropical/tropical moist montane forests. It is naturally found at an elevation of at least 1700 up to 1700 metres. Other conifers associated with Abies beshanzuensis are:
USDA Hardiness zone – 6
Abies beshanzuensis is hardy to USDA Zone 6 (Bannister & Neuner, 2001), meaning its frost tolerance lies somewhere in the range of -23.3C (-10F) to -17.8C (0F).
Species Continuity
The population trend for Abies beshanzuensis is decreasing. Currently, there exist about 3 mature specimen. There are ongoing threats for Abies beshanzuensis and they are listed as follows:
IUCN Category – CR
According to the IUCN Red List, Abies beshanzuensis has been assigned the status of CR(Critically Endangered). This means that according to the Red List criteria, this species qualifies as Critically endangered and is on the brink of being extinct in the wild.
Superordinate Taxa
The nearest superordinate taxon for Abies beshanzuensis is Subsect. Firmae. The coordinate taxa for Abies beshanzuensis are therefore:
Abies beshanzuensis is further placed under Abietoideae. Abies beshanzuensis is also placed under Pinaceae.
This map shows botanical records (points) for this taxon. By opening the map’s sidebar (collapsed by default) you can toggle visibility or change the basemap. By clicking on records, you reveal more information.
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