Abies guatemalensis var. guatemalensis

Pinaceae Abies guatemalensis var. guatemalensis Rehd.

Etymology
Abies refers to ‘to rise’; indicating large trees.
guatemalensis refers to Guatemala.

Colloquial Name
Guatemalan fir

Description
These trees grow between 35 and 40 meters tall, with trunks reaching 1 to 1.5 meters in diameter. The trunk is straight and column-like, with a broad, conical crown that becomes more open and dome-shaped as the tree ages. Young trees have smooth, gray-brown bark, which becomes scaly as they mature.

The main branches are long and spread horizontally, with the lower ones curving downward. The smaller branches extend outward. Young shoots start out purple before darkening to deep gray. Twigs are slender with ridges and grooves and may be covered in fine hairs or completely smooth. The scars left by fallen needles are oval or circular.

The buds are rounded to oval in shape, about 4 to 5 millimeters long and 3 to 3.5 millimeters wide. They are sticky with resin, and their protective scales are broad, triangular, and reddish brown with blunt tips. These scales remain on the tree for two to three years. The needles are arranged in a spiral around the twigs but often form two horizontal rows. They spread outward in a comb-like pattern, either at right angles to the twig or angled slightly forward. On cone-bearing branches, the shorter upper needles point upward. Their length varies from 1.5 to 4 centimeters, sometimes reaching up to 5.5 centimeters, and they are about 1.2 to 2 millimeters wide. The base of each needle is slightly twisted, giving them a flattened, narrow shape. Their tips are usually notched but can sometimes be rounded. The upper surface is glossy green, while the underside has two distinct white bands. Stomata, the tiny pores for gas exchange, are absent on the upper surface except for a few near the tip, while the lower surface has two bands of stomata separated by a central ridge.

Pollen cones grow along the sides of branches and are about 2 to 2.5 centimeters long when releasing pollen. They are yellowish in color. The seed cones also grow along the sides of branches and stand upright. They have very short stalks, making them appear nearly attached to the branch. Their shape is oblong-cylindrical, with a blunt or flat tip. When young, they are purple, but as they mature, they darken to brown. The cones measure between 8 and 12 centimeters in length and are 4 to 5.5 centimeters wide. After the seeds are released, the central axis of the cone remains as a narrow, dark brown, cone-shaped structure.

The cone scales are broad and somewhat kidney-shaped, measuring about 2 to 2.5 centimeters long and 3 centimeters wide. Their surface is smooth but has fine hairs. The upper edge may be slightly curled and either finely toothed or smooth. The base narrows into a short stalk. The bracts, which are small structures between the cone scales, are either the same length as the cone scales or slightly shorter, with tiny pointed tips. They remain hidden inside the cone or slightly extend outward.

The seeds are wedge-shaped and light brown, measuring 8 to 9 millimeters long. They are attached to broad, asymmetrical wings that are 10 to 15 millimeters long and wide, also light brown in color.

Subordinate Taxa
There exist 2 subordinate taxa for Abies guatemalensis:

Distribution

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TDWG Codes
7, 79, MXE, MXE-TA, MXS, MXS-CL, MXS-GR, MXS-JA, MXS-MI, MXS-NA, MXS-OA, MXT, MXT-CI, 8, 80, ELS, GUA, HON

Habitat
The natural habitats for Abies guatemalensis var. guatemalensis are subtropical/tropical moist montane forests. It is naturally found at an elevation of at least 4000 up to 4000 metres. Other conifers associated with Abies guatemalensis var. guatemalensis are:

USDA Hardiness zone – 9
Abies guatemalensis var. guatemalensis is hardy to USDA Zone 9 (Bannister & Neuner, 2001), meaning its frost tolerance lies somewhere in the range of -6.7C (20F) to -1.1C (30F).

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

• 1 Habitat Loss & Degradation
  • 1.1 Agriculture & Forestry
  • 1.2 Urban & Infrastructure Development
• 2 Overexploitation & Resource Use
  • 2.2 Biological Resource Use
  • 2.1 Logging & Wood Harvesting

IUCN Category – EN
According to the IUCN Red List, Abies guatemalensis var. guatemalensis has been assigned the status of EN(Endangered). This means that according to the Red List criteria, this species qualifies as Endangered and is very much at risk.

Superordinate Taxa
The nearest superordinate taxon for Abies guatemalensis is Sect. Grandis. The coordinate taxa for Abies guatemalensis are therefore:

Abies guatemalensis var. guatemalensis is further placed under Abietoideae. Abies guatemalensis var. guatemalensis 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.