Abies procera

Pinaceae Abies procera Rehd.

Etymology
Abies refers to ‘to rise’; indicating large trees.
procera refers to ‘slender’; indicating its growth habit.

Colloquial Name
Noble fir

Description
These trees can grow to impressive heights of 80 to 90 meters, with trunks reaching up to 3.5 meters in diameter. The trunk is straight, cylindrical, and often remains branch-free for a significant portion of its height, giving the tree a very uniform appearance. The crown is narrow and pyramidal or conical, and in dense forests, it may take up only the upper third of the tree. The bark on young trees is smooth, thin, and light grey with a slight purplish tint, often containing resin blisters. As the tree ages, the bark remains relatively smooth but becomes rougher near the lower trunk, where it breaks into irregular greyish-brown plates.

The main branches extend horizontally, with the lower ones drooping, though in older trees, they can become twisted. The smaller branches grow outward and then curve upward toward their tips. The young twigs are slender, firm, and reddish-brown, turning purplish-brown over time. They have faint ridges and grooves and are covered with fine hairs, though this is often hidden by the dense foliage. The spots where leaves were once attached are oval or oblong.

The buds, which produce new growth, are small and rounded, about 3 mm long and slightly sticky with resin. They are hidden among the leaves and covered in dark purplish-red scales, which stay on the tree for several years. The leaves are arranged in a spiral around the branches and angle sharply upward. The lower leaves spread out and curve in an S-shape. They range from 1 to 2.5 cm long, occasionally up to 3.5 cm, and are widest in the middle of the branch. They are narrow, about 1.5 to 2 mm wide, and curve slightly at the base. Their shape is either sickle-like or more straight and flattened. The upper surface is bluish-green, while the underside has two pale white bands. The tips are usually rounded, though on cone-bearing branches, they are more sharply pointed. The leaves have small pores for gas exchange arranged in several rows on the upper surface and in two narrow bands separated by a midrib on the underside.

The pollen cones, which produce pollen, grow on the sides of the branches, either singly or in small clusters. They are stalked, measure 1.5 to 2.5 cm long, and are yellow with red pollen-producing structures. The seed cones, which develop into woody cones, also grow on the sides of the branches but stand upright on short stalks. They are cylindrical with a blunt or flat tip, measuring 15 to 20 cm long, though cultivated trees may produce even larger cones up to 30 cm long. When young, the cones are green, often with a reddish tint, then mature into a greenish-grey color with yellowish bracts before ripening to light greyish-brown with orange-brown bracts. After the seeds are released, the central cone axis remains, forming a narrow, purplish-brown, cone-shaped structure.

The seed scales, which hold the seeds inside the cone, are shaped like broad fans or shallow cups. In the middle of the cone, they measure 2.5 to 3 cm long and 2.5 to 3.5 cm wide. Their surface is smooth but covered with fine yellowish-grey hairs, ranging from soft fuzz to more noticeable hairs. The upper edge curves strongly inward, and the base is attached to a long stalk. The bracts, which sit behind the seed scales, are spoon-shaped with deeply cut upper edges and a long, curved tip. They measure 3 to 4 cm long, extend beyond the seed scales, and bend backward, covering much of the exposed cone surface.

The seeds are oblong and wedge-shaped, measuring 12 to 15 mm long and pale reddish-brown in color. Each seed has a broad, papery wing, about 20 mm long and 15 mm wide, which is straw-colored and helps the seeds disperse in the wind.

Distribution

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

Habitat
The natural habitats for Abies procera are temperate forests. It is naturally found at an elevation of at least 2700 up to 2700 metres. Other conifers associated with Abies procera are:

USDA Hardiness zone – 5
Abies procera 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 procera is stable. There are ongoing threats for Abies procera and they are listed as follows:

• 2 Overexploitation & Resource Use
  • 2.1 Logging & Wood Harvesting

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

Abies procera is further placed under Abietoideae. Abies procera 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
‘Bizarro’, ‘Blaue Hexe’, ‘Blue Spiral’, ‘Blue Spire’, ‘Blue Wonder’, ‘Bump’s Broom’, ‘Delbar’s Cascade’, ‘Fastigiata’, ‘Glauca’, ‘Glauca Procumbens’, ‘Glauca Prostrata’, ‘Hupp’s Compact’, ‘Hupp’s Dwarf’, ‘Hupp’s Prostrate’, ‘Hupp’s Weeping’, ‘Jeddeloh’, ‘La Graciosa’, ‘Mount Hood’, ‘Nobel’, ‘Noble’, ‘Noble’s Dwarf’, ‘Obrighofen’, ‘Pešek’, ‘Pospíšil’, ‘Prostrata’, ‘Rat Tail’, ‘Robenek’, ‘Seatle’, ‘Seattle Mountain’, ‘Seattle Mt’, ‘Sherwoodii’, ‘Silver’, ‘Special Seedling’, ‘Stanley’s Select’, ‘Windsor’