Abies magnifica var. magnifica

Pinaceae Abies magnifica var. magnifica A. Murray bis

Etymology
Abies refers to ‘to rise’; indicating large trees.
magnifica refers to ‘magnificent’.

Colloquial Name
Red fir

Description
These towering trees can grow up to 60–70 meters tall, with thick, straight trunks reaching 2–3 meters in diameter. The crown is narrow and conical, becoming more open with age. Young trees have smooth, grey or light purplish-grey bark with resin blisters, while older trees develop thick, rough bark that becomes deeply fissured and turns brown near the base.

The first-order branches are relatively short and spread outward, with the lower ones drooping or hanging. The second-order branches extend horizontally and eventually become pendulous at the tips. The branchlets are slender yet strong and flexible, light brown or greenish in color, with noticeable ridges and grooves between the leaves. They are covered in fine reddish-brown hairs for about two years before becoming smooth. The leaf scars are circular.

The buds are small, either round or slightly conical, and remain hidden among short terminal leaves. Unlike some species, they are not resinous. The bud scales are triangular with a slight ridge and covered in fine brown hairs, remaining on the tree for two to three years. The leaves are arranged in a spiral pattern along the shoots, spreading outward but curving inward above the branch. On cone-bearing shoots, they curve sharply upward, sometimes covering the shoot entirely. They are narrow, linear, and slightly flattened, measuring 2–3.5 cm long and 1.3–1.6 mm wide, often abruptly curved at the base. The upper surface lacks a groove and is a bluish-green color on both sides. The leaf tips can be either rounded or pointed. Stomata appear in two distinct rows on the upper surface and in two broad bands separated by a raised midrib on the underside.

Pollen cones grow along the sides of the branches, often in crowded clusters. They are pendulous, measuring 1.5–2 cm long, and have scarlet-colored microsporophylls. The seed cones are also lateral, standing upright on short stalks or directly attached to the branch. They are broad and shaped like a cone or barrel, with a flattened or slightly depressed tip. When young, they are purplish-green, later maturing to yellowish-brown or greenish-brown before ripening to a dull light brown. They grow to be 14–20 cm long and 7–10 cm wide. The cone axis remains on the tree after the scales fall, forming a narrow, dark brown spire.

The seed scales are wedge-shaped and fan-like, measuring 3–4 cm in both length and width at the middle of the cone. Their surface is smooth but densely covered in yellowish-brown hairs. The upper edge is entire and slightly curved inward, while the base is long and stalk-like. The bracts, which sit behind the seed scales, are oblong-spoon-shaped with a short pointed tip, 2–3.5 cm long, and remain hidden within the cone.

The seeds are oblong and wedge-shaped, 13–15 mm long and 5–6 mm wide, dark brown in color. They have large, glossy wings that are 15–20 mm long, with a pinkish-brown hue.

Subordinate Taxa
There exist 2 subordinate taxa for Abies magnifica:

Distribution

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TDWG Codes
7, 73, ORE, 76, CAL, NEV

Habitat
The natural habitats for Abies magnifica var. magnifica are temperate forests. It is naturally found at an elevation of at least 3000 up to 3000 metres. Other conifers associated with Abies magnifica var. magnifica are:

USDA Hardiness zone – 5
Abies magnifica var. magnifica 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 magnifica var. magnifica is stable. There are no known threats for Abies magnifica var. magnifica.

IUCN Category – LC
According to the IUCN Red List, Abies magnifica var. magnifica 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 magnifica is Sect. Nobilis. The coordinate taxa for Abies magnifica are therefore:

Abies magnifica var. magnifica is further placed under Abietoideae. Abies magnifica var. magnifica is also placed under Pinaceae.

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Cultivars
‘Glauca’, ‘Mount Si’, ‘Nana’, ‘Prostrata’