Abies forrestii var. smithii

Pinaceae Abies forrestii var. smithii Viguié & Gaussen

Etymology
Abies refers to ‘to rise’; indicating large trees.
forrest refers to the plant hunter George Forrest.
smithii probably refers to someone named Smith.

Colloquial Name
Smith’s fir

Description
These trees can reach up to 40 meters in height, with a straight, column-like trunk that remains unbranched lower down, forming a broad conical crown that flattens as the tree matures. The bark starts off smooth and brownish-gray in younger trees, becoming dark brown and fissured near the base as they age.

The main branches are long and spread outward, while the upper ones angle slightly upward. Smaller branches also grow in an upward direction. The young twigs are thick and range in color from purplish to reddish or orange-brown, often turning gray over time. They have a fine layer of soft hairs and may have shallow grooves on the surface. The scars left by fallen needles are circular or oval.

The buds are rounded to oval, measuring between 4 and 10 millimeters long and 3 to 7 millimeters wide. They are highly resinous, coated in a thick, sticky layer. The bud scales are reddish-brown, covered with white resin, and remain on the tree for several years. The needles are arranged densely in a spiral, forming overlapping rows that part slightly in the middle. On cone-bearing branches, they angle upward. They usually measure between 1.5 and 3 centimeters long and 2 to 2.5 millimeters wide, with a slightly curved or twisted base. Their shape is narrow and flat, with edges that are either smooth or slightly curled downward. The upper surface is glossy dark green or bluish-green, while the underside has two pale white or greenish-white bands. The needle tips are usually notched, though those on cone-bearing branches may taper to a sharp point. The undersides have two bands of stomata separated by a green midrib.

The pollen cones grow along the sides of the branches, measuring 3 to 4.5 centimeters long. They are yellowish with small purple pollen-producing structures. The seed cones also grow laterally, standing upright on short stalks. They are thick and barrel-shaped or cylindrical, with a rounded or slightly indented tip. When young, they are purplish-blue with blue bracts but mature to a deep purplish-brown or dark brown. They measure between 6 and 10 centimeters long. Once the seeds are released, the central axis of the cone remains as a thick, tapered, purplish-brown structure.

The cone scales are wedge-shaped and slightly broader at the tip, measuring about 2 centimeters long and 1.8 centimeters wide in the middle of the cone. Their surface is usually smooth but may have a slightly rough texture, with fine hairs on exposed parts. The upper edges are either smooth or slightly irregular, while the base narrows into a short stalk. The bracts, small leaf-like structures between the cone scales, extend outward, are broad, and abruptly narrow into a long, pointed tip.

The seeds are about 8 millimeters long and have a glossy brown surface. They are attached to broad, wedge-shaped wings that measure around 10 by 8 millimeters and are light brown in color.

Subordinate Taxa
There exist 4 subordinate taxa for Abies forrestii:

Distribution

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TDWG Codes
3, 36, CHC, CHC-YN

Habitat
The natural habitats for Abies forrestii var. smithii are temperate forests. It is naturally found at an elevation of at least 4200 up to 4200 metres. Other conifers associated with Abies forrestii var. smithii are:

USDA Hardiness zone – 7
Abies forrestii var. smithii is hardy to USDA Zone 7 (Bannister & Neuner, 2001), meaning its frost tolerance lies somewhere in the range of -17.8C (0F) to -12.2C (10F).

Species Continuity
The population trend for Abies forrestii var. smithii is decreasing. There are ongoing threats for Abies forrestii var. smithii and they are listed as follows:

• 1 Habitat Loss & Degradation
  • 1.1 Agriculture & Forestry
• 2 Overexploitation & Resource Use
  • 2.1 Logging & Wood Harvesting
• 5 Natural System Modifications
  • 5.1 Fire & Fire Suppression

IUCN Category – LC
According to the IUCN Red List, Abies forrestii var. smithii has been assigned the status of LC(Least Concern). This means that according to the Red List criteria, this species is not qualified as threatened.

Superordinate Taxa
The nearest superordinate taxon for Abies forrestii is Subsect. Delavayianae. The coordinate taxa for Abies forrestii are therefore:

Abies forrestii var. smithii is further placed under Abietoideae. Abies forrestii var. smithii is also placed under Pinaceae.

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