Pinaceae Abies hidalgensis Debreczy, Rácz & Guízar
Etymology
Abies refers to ‘to rise’; indicating large trees.
hidalgensis refers to the Mexican State of Hidalgo.
Colloquial Name
Hidalgo fir
Description
These trees have a single, upright trunk that is straight and column-like, forming a narrow conical crown. The bark is smooth and light gray when young, but as the tree matures, it becomes thick and breaks into large, irregular plates. The inner bark is reddish.
The branches spread outward and curve slightly upward, while smaller branches lower on the tree tend to droop. The smaller twigs that hold the needles are sturdy, with either a smooth surface or shallow ridges and grooves, especially on fast-growing shoots. Young shoots are densely covered in short, yellowish-brown hairs.
The buds that produce new growth are small, slightly sticky with resin, and partially hidden by the surrounding curved needles. Their protective scales are triangular. The needles are arranged in a comb-like pattern along the twigs, forming two opposite rows. They are shortest on the upper side of the branchlets and range from 1 to 6 centimeters long and about 1.5 millimeters wide. They are long and narrow, slightly curving downward or forward, and end in a shallow notch or two small points. The upper surface is dark green or dull grayish-green, while the underside has two white bands created by rows of stomata, separated by a green midrib. Some stomata are also present on the upper surface. The resin canals, which transport resin within the needles, vary from two to five in most leaves but can be up to seven in those on cone-bearing branches.
The pollen cones grow in clusters along the branches and are small, about 10 to 12 millimeters long, yellow, and covered in fine hairs. The seed cones also grow on the sides of branches and stand upright on short stalks. They are cylindrical and measure 6.5 to 8 centimeters long and 3.5 to 4 centimeters wide. When mature, they are green with a frosted appearance and have a rounded or slightly dimpled tip. Once the seeds are released, the remaining cone axis is narrow and conical.
The cone scales, which protect the developing seeds, are fan-shaped to cup-like and range in color from green to grayish-green. Their surface is covered in a dense layer of very short, white, pressed-down hairs. The bracts, small structures found between the cone scales, are short, about 5 to 8 millimeters long, spoon-shaped, and have finely serrated edges. They do not have a pointed tip and remain completely hidden within the cone.
The seeds are slender and triangular, with small resin-filled blisters. Their wings, which aid in wind dispersal, are yellowish-gray, though their full development was not described in detail.
Distribution
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Habitat
The natural habitats for Abies hidalgensis are subtropical/tropical moist montane forests. The natural elevation is unknown. Other conifers associated with Abies hidalgensis are:
USDA Hardiness zone – 8
Abies hidalgensis is hardy to USDA Zone 8 (estimated), meaning its frost tolerance lies somewhere in the range of -12.2C (10F) to -6.7C (20F).
Species Continuity
The population trend for Abies hidalgensis is unknown. There are ongoing threats for Abies hidalgensis and they are listed as follows:
IUCN Category – VU
According to the IUCN Red List, Abies hidalgensis has been assigned the status of VU(Vulnerable). This means that according to the Red List criteria, this species qualifies as Vulnerable and is of risk.
Superordinate Taxa
The nearest superordinate taxon for Abies hidalgensis is Subsect. Hickelianae. The coordinate taxa for Abies hidalgensis are therefore:
Abies hidalgensis is further placed under Abietoideae. Abies hidalgensis 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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