OregonFlora: Pseudotsuga menziesii

	Pseudotsuga menziesii
	Douglas-fir
Habit	Trees to 100 m; mature crown conic.
Leaves	linear, 1.5–3 cm × 1–1.5 mm, yellow-green to bluish green, flattened in cross section, usually spreading; abaxial surface ridged and somewhat glaucous; adaxial surface rounded or grooved; apex bluntly pointed, rarely acute.
Pollen cones	1–2.5 cm long, yellow-red to red.
Seeds	5–6 mm long; reddish brown to dark brown; wings twice as long as seed body.
Trunks	to 4 m diameter; bark reddish brown; smooth when young, becoming thick and furrowed with age; twigs pubescent and orange-yellow when young, becoming glabrous and reddish brown to gray with age; slender.
Seed cones	4–10 × 3–3.5 cm; scales orbicular; about 2 cm long; margins slightly irregularly toothed; bracts inversely arrow-shaped, 2.5–3.5 cm long, conspicuously exserted.
2n	=26.

	Pseudotsuga menziesii
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Western North America. 2 varieties. Pseudotsuga menziesii is the most commercially important tree in North America. Uses range from pulp, lumber, and mulch to Christmas trees. The species is most easily distinguished from other coniferous species by the bracts of its seed cones which resemble the tail and feet of a mouse diving into a hole. This species is the state tree of Oregon.
Source	Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 125 Stephen Meyers
Subordinate taxa	P. menziesii var. glauca, P. menziesii var. menziesii
Web links	Local floras: BC, OR, WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Pseudotsuga menziesii

Douglas-fir

Habit

Trees to 100 m; mature crown conic.

Leaves

linear, 1.5–3 cm × 1–1.5 mm, yellow-green to bluish green, flattened in cross section, usually spreading;

abaxial surface ridged and somewhat glaucous;

adaxial surface rounded or grooved;

apex bluntly pointed, rarely acute.

Pollen cones

1–2.5 cm long, yellow-red to red.

Seeds

5–6 mm long; reddish brown to dark brown;

wings twice as long as seed body.

Trunks

to 4 m diameter;

bark reddish brown; smooth when young, becoming thick and furrowed with age;

twigs pubescent and orange-yellow when young, becoming glabrous and reddish brown to gray with age; slender.

Seed cones

4–10 × 3–3.5 cm;

scales orbicular; about 2 cm long;

margins slightly irregularly toothed;

bracts inversely arrow-shaped, 2.5–3.5 cm long, conspicuously exserted.

=26.

Pseudotsuga menziesii

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Western North America. 2 varieties.

Pseudotsuga menziesii is the most commercially important tree in North America. Uses range from pulp, lumber, and mulch to Christmas trees. The species is most easily distinguished from other coniferous species by the bracts of its seed cones which resemble the tail and feet of a mouse diving into a hole. This species is the state tree of Oregon.

Source

Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 125
Stephen Meyers

Subordinate taxa

P. menziesii var. glauca, P. menziesii var. menziesii

Web links