Abies yuanbaoshanensis

Pinaceae Abies yuanbaoshanensis Y.J. Lu & L.K. Fu

Etymology
Abies refers to ‘to rise’; indicating large trees.
yuanbaoshanensis refers to the Chinese District of Yuan Bao Shan.

Colloquial Name
Yuan Bao Shan fir

Description
These trees can grow up to 25 meters tall, with trunks reaching about 60 centimeters in diameter or more. The trunk is straight and cylindrical, with a single main stem supporting the crown. The bark starts off smooth but eventually develops shallow ridges and grooves, breaking into small plates as the tree matures.

The primary branches are long and extend horizontally, while the smaller branches spread outward and angle slightly upward. The young twigs are slender, firm, and yellowish-brown or light brown at first, darkening with age. Their surface remains smooth and free of hairs, and circular scars are left behind where old leaves have fallen.

The buds are conical and covered in a thick layer of sticky resin. Their protective scales are reddish-brown and stay on the tree for several years. The leaves are densely packed along the branches and arranged in a spiral pattern. On cone-bearing branches, they point upward or stand erect. They range from 1 to 2.7 centimeters long, with longer leaves (up to 3.8 centimeters) found on younger trees. On these younger trees, the leaves tend to be arranged in two neat rows of equal length. They are narrow, about 1.8 to 2.5 millimeters wide, and slightly twisted or curved at the base. Their shape is long and slender, with a flat surface. The edges curl slightly downward when dry, and a shallow groove runs along the upper side. The upper surface is dark green, while the underside has two bright white bands. The tip of the leaf is either rounded or slightly notched. Stomata, the tiny openings for gas exchange, are absent on the upper surface but form two broad bands underneath, separated by a midrib.

The pollen cones grow singly in the axils of leaves on short branches. They are small, oblong-cylindrical, and range from 1 to 1.5 centimeters long, with a yellow color. The seed cones grow upright along the branches, attached by a short stalk or almost sitting directly on the branch. They are broad, shaped like a short cylinder with a slightly narrowed, rounded tip, and measure about 8 to 9 centimeters long and 4.5 to 5 centimeters wide. When young, they are green or yellowish-green, later maturing to a light yellowish-brown and eventually turning pale brown when fully ripe. After the seeds are released, the central stalk of the cone remains as a brown, spindle-shaped or conical structure.

The seed scales are wedge-shaped and fan-like, about 2 centimeters long and 2.2 centimeters wide at the middle of the cone. Their surface is smooth, with a thickened area near the upper part. The exposed portion is covered in fine, greyish-white hairs. The upper margin is gently rounded or nearly flat and slightly curves inward. The lower edges have small, ear-like extensions, and the base connects to a short stalk. The bracts, which are small modified leaves beneath the seed scales, are broad and oblong, widest at about 9 millimeters in the middle. Their upper edges are rounded and finely toothed, with a small pointed tip. They are about 2.5 to 2.8 centimeters long, the same color as the seed scales, and their upper part, which is 6 to 7 millimeters wide, curves backward and extends clearly beyond the seed scales.

The seeds are long and narrow, measuring about 10 millimeters in length and 4 millimeters in width. They are dark reddish-brown and covered in a layer of resin. Each seed has a broad, wedge-shaped wing that is slightly longer than the seed itself, about 9 to 11 millimeters long and 8 to 10 millimeters wide. The wing has a squared-off tip and is a glossy light brown color, helping the seed disperse in the wind.

Distribution

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TDWG Codes
3, 36, CHS, CHS-GX

Habitat
The natural habitats for Abies yuanbaoshanensis are temperate forests. The natural elevation is unknown. Other conifers associated with Abies yuanbaoshanensis are:

USDA Hardiness zone – 6
Abies yuanbaoshanensis is hardy to USDA Zone 6 (Bannister & Neuner, 2001), meaning its frost tolerance lies somewhere in the range of -23.3C (-10F) to -17.8C (0F).

Species Continuity
The population trend for Abies yuanbaoshanensis is decreasing. Currently, there exist about 600 mature specimen. There are ongoing threats for Abies yuanbaoshanensis and they are listed as follows:

• 4 Invasive Species / Pathogens & Genetic Risks
  • 4.2 Problematic Native Species & Diseases

IUCN Category – CR
According to the IUCN Red List, Abies yuanbaoshanensis has been assigned the status of CR(Critically Endangered). This means that according to the Red List criteria, this species qualifies as Critically endangered and is on the brink of being extinct in the wild.

Superordinate Taxa
The nearest superordinate taxon for Abies yuanbaoshanensis is Subsect. Delavayianae. The coordinate taxa for Abies yuanbaoshanensis are therefore:

Abies yuanbaoshanensis is further placed under Abietoideae. Abies yuanbaoshanensis is also placed under Pinaceae.

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