Pinaceae Abies holophylla Maxim.
Etymology
Abies refers to ‘to rise’; indicating large trees.
holophylla refers to ‘whole leaf’; indicating its needle apex has no notch.
Colloquial Name
Needle fir, Manchurian fir
Description
These trees grow between 30 and 50 meters tall, with a trunk diameter reaching 1 to 1.5 meters. The trunk is straight, column-like, and supports a broad pyramidal crown. Younger trees have a more pointed top, while older trees develop a wider shape. The bark is smooth and varies from gray to buff-orange when young, but as the tree matures, it becomes shallowly fissured, scaly, and brown.
The primary branches are long and spread out horizontally, while the smaller secondary branches either spread outward or angle slightly upward. The twigs are sturdy and firm, with a yellowish to gray-brown or buff-orange color. They have fine ridges and grooves between the leaves and are mostly smooth, though young shoots may have tiny hairs in the grooves. The scars left by fallen leaves are oval to circular and lighter in color.
The buds that produce new growth are shaped like small cones, measuring 4 to 8 millimeters long and 3 to 5 millimeters wide. They are somewhat sticky with resin, and their protective scales are triangular with rounded tips and a noticeable central ridge. These scales are light to reddish-brown and remain on the tree for several years. The needles grow in a spiral pattern along the branches. On rapidly growing and cone-bearing shoots, they spread outward and upward, while on shaded branches, they may be more flattened and arranged in two rows. They are 2 to 4.5 centimeters long and 2 to 2.5 millimeters wide, with a slight twist or curve at the base. Their shape is long and narrow, tapering to a sharp or slightly pointed tip. The upper surface is smooth and glossy light green, while the underside is pale whitish-green with a central green stripe and green margins. Stomata, which control gas exchange, are arranged in two bands on the underside and are absent or sparse on the upper side except near the tip.
Pollen cones grow in clusters along the branches and are small, about 1 to 1.5 centimeters long. They are yellow with reddish scales that produce pollen. The seed cones are upright and attached by short, scaly stalks that are 0.5 to 1 centimeter long. They are oblong and cylindrical, with a rounded or slightly flattened tip. When young, they are pale green, sometimes with a hint of purple, then turn yellowish-green before ripening to a light yellowish-brown. Once the seeds are released, the central cone axis remains on the tree as a narrow, brown cone-shaped structure.
The cone scales, which protect the seeds, are fan-shaped and measure about 2 by 3 centimeters at the middle of the cone. Their surface is smooth but has fine hairs on the exposed parts and is often very sticky with resin. The upper edges are slightly curved inward, and the base is attached by a small stalk. The bracts, which are small structures between the cone scales, are oblong and spoon-shaped with tiny pointed tips. They remain hidden within the cone and measure about 0.8 to 1 centimeter long.
The seeds are wedge-shaped, about 6 by 4 millimeters, and light brown. Each seed has a broad, wing-like extension to help with wind dispersal. The wings are also wedge-shaped, with a slightly cut-off, slanted tip, measuring around 13 by 10 millimeters and light brown in color.
Distribution
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TDWG Codes
3, 31, PRM, 36, CHM, CHM-HJ, CHM-JL, CHM-LN, 38, KOR, KOR-NK, KOR-SK
Habitat
The natural habitats for Abies holophylla are temperate forests. It is naturally found at an elevation of at least 1 up to 1500 metres. Other conifers associated with Abies holophylla are:
USDA Hardiness zone – 5
Abies holophylla is hardy to USDA Zone 5 (Bannister & Neuner, 2001), meaning its frost tolerance lies somewhere in the range of -28.9C (-20F) to -23.3C (-10F).
Species Continuity
The population trend for Abies holophylla is decreasing. There are ongoing threats for Abies holophylla and they are listed as follows:
IUCN Category – NT
According to the IUCN Red List, Abies holophylla has been assigned the status of NT(Near Threatened). This means that according to the Red List criteria, this species is not threatened, but is close to having this status.
Superordinate Taxa
The nearest superordinate taxon for Abies holophylla is Subsect. Holophyllae. The coordinate taxa for Abies holophylla are therefore:
Abies holophylla is further placed under Abietoideae. Abies holophylla 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.
Cultivars
‘Wilson’
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