Abies grandis |
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grand fir, lowland white fir, sapin grandissime |
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Habit | Trees to 75m; trunk to 1.55m diam.; crown conic, in age round topped or straggly. |
Bark | gray, thin to thick, with age becoming brown, often with reddish periderm visible in furrows bounded by hard flat ridges. |
Branches | spreading, drooping; twigs mostly opposite, light brown, pubescent. |
Buds | exposed, purple, green, or brown, globose, small to moderately large, resinous, apex round; basal scales short, broad, equilaterally triangular, slightly pubescent or glabrous, resinous, margins entire, apex pointed or slightly rounded. |
Leaves | (1–)2–6cm × l.5–2.5mm, 2-ranked, flexible, with leaves at center of branch segment longer than those near ends, or with distinct long and short leaves intermixed, proximal portion ± straight, leaves higher in tree spiraled and 1-ranked; cross section flat, grooved adaxially; odor pungent, faintly turpentinelike; abaxial surface with 5–7 stomatal rows on each side of midrib; adaxial surface light to dark lustrous green, lacking stomates or with a few stomates toward leaf apex; apex distinctly notched (rarely rounded); resin canals small, near margins and abaxial epidermal layer. |
Pollen cones | at pollination bluish red, purple, orange, yellow, or ± green. |
Seed(s) | cones cylindric, (5–)6–7(–12) × 3–3.5cm, light green, dark blue, deep purple, or gray, sessile, apex rounded; scales ca. 2–2.5 × 2–2.5cm, densely pubescent; bracts included. |
2n | =24. |
Abies grandis |
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Habitat | Moist, coastal coniferous forests and mountain slopes |
Elevation | 0–1500m (0–4900ft) |
Distribution |
CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; BC
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Discussion | Abies grandis is rather uniform morphologically and chemically. At its southern limit in southern Oregon and northern California, it introgresses with A. concolor (J.L. Hamrick and W.J. Libby 1972; E.Zavarin et al. 1975; D.B. Zobel 1973). In the area of introgression, specimens in lower, wetter habitats are best assigned to A. grandis; those in higher, drier habitats, to A. concolor. Others are best considered to be A. concolor × grandis. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 2. |
Parent taxa | Pinaceae > Abies |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | Pinus grandis |
Name authority | (Douglas ex D. Don in Lambert) Lindley: Penny Cycl. 1: 30. (1833) |
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