Abies magnifica
Abies concolor
California red fir, magnificant silver fir, red fir, Shasta red fir, silvertip fir
pino real blanco, Rocky Mountain white fir, white fir
grayish, thin, with age thickening and becoming deeply furrowed with ridges being often 4 times wider than furrows, plates reddish.
gray, thin, smooth, with age thickening (to 18cm) and breaking into deep longitudinal furrows, often revealing yellowish inner periderm, appearing "corky." Branches diverging from trunk at right angles, the lower often spreading and drooping in age;
twigs mostly opposite, glabrous or with yellowish pubescence.
ascending in upper crown, descending in lower crown;
twigs opposite to whorled, light yellow to ± tan, reddish pubescent for 1–2 years.
hidden by leaves or exposed, usually dark brown, ovoid, small, not resinous or with resin drop near tip, apex rounded;
basal scales short, broad, equilaterally triangular, densely pubescent, not resinous, margins entire to crenate, apex sharp-pointed.
exposed, either yellowish and nearly conic (when large) or brownish and nearly globose (when small), resinous, apex rounded to pointed;
basal scales equilaterally triangular, glabrous, not resinous, margins entire, apex sharp-pointed.
2–3.7cm × 2mm, mostly 1-ranked, flexible, the proximal portion often appressed to twig for 2–3mm (best seen on abaxial surface of twig), distal portion divergent;
cross section flat, with or without weak groove adaxially toward leaf base, or cross section 3–4-sided on fertile branches;
odor camphorlike;
abaxial surface with 2 glaucous bands, each band with 4–5 stomatal rows;
adaxial surface blue-green to silvery blue, with single glaucous band that may divide into 2 toward leaf base, band with (8–)10(–13) stomatal rows at midleaf;
apex rounded or, on fertile branches, somewhat pointed;
resin canals small, near margins and abaxial epidermal layer.
1.5–6cm × 2–3mm, mostly 2-ranked, flexible, proximal portion ±straight;
cross section flat, sometimes slightly grooved adaxially;
odor pungent, frequently camphorlike;
abaxial surface glaucous, with 4–7 stomatal rows on each side of midrib;
adaxial surface grayish green, glaucous, with (7–)12(–18) stomatal rows at midleaf, these usually fewer toward leaf apex;
apex usually rounded, sometimes acute or notched;
resin canals small, near margins and abaxial epidermal layer.
at pollination ± purple or reddish brown.
at pollination ± red, purple, or ± green.
cones oblong-cylindric, 15–20 × 7–10cm, purple at first but becoming yellowish brown or greenish brown, sessile, apex round;
scales ca. 3 × 4cm, pubescent;
bracts included to exserted and reflexed (Shasta red fir) over scales.
cones cylindric, 7–12 × 3–4.5cm, olive-green, sessile, apex round;
scales ca. 2.5–3 × 3–3.5cm, pubescent;
bracts included.
=24.
=24.
Abies magnifica
Abies concolor
Abies magnifica often exists in extensive high elevation stands in the Sierra Nevada; its close relative A. procera occurs in small mountaintop populations relatively isolated from one another. As expected for isolated populations, A. procera produces large interpopulation variation in morphology (J.Maze and W.H. Parker 1983) and chemistry (E.Zavarin et al. 1978). Where the two species meet in southern Oregon and northern California, many populations are intermediate; these have been called A. magnifica var. shastensis Lemmon. The status of such intermediates is unsettled. They may be accepted as hybrids between A. magnifica and A. procera (Liu T. S. 1971) or, alternatively, the paleontological record suggests that the two species may have originated from the intermediates (E.Zavarin et al. 1978). Individuals from this region should be assigned to A. magnifica, A. procera, or A. magnifica × procera (E.L. Parker 1963), depending on the morphologic criteria selected to differentiate the species, though clearly these individuals are genetically quite different from those near the type localities of the two species.
An extensive study of this variation, as proposed by E.Zavarin et al. (1978), is warranted. Such a study should consider data from the type localities as a basis of comparison. Moreover, to evaluate this situation critically, one should first determine if any genetic exchange occurs between Abies lasiocarpa and A. procera that may complicate an evaluation.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Abies concolor is a western catchall species for firs with green seed cones and with glaucous adaxial leaf surfaces. Many of these populations have long been isolated geographically and genetically. A geographic cluster of populations in Utah has shorter leaves and slightly different terpene patterns than a similar cluster of populations in Colorado and northern New Mexico (J.W. Wright et al. 1971; E.Zavarin et al. 1975). Another large geographic cluster, in southern New Mexico and Arizona, seems to be strongly linked chemically to Colorado populations (E.Zavarin et al. 1975) and morphologically to southern California populations (J.L. Hamrick and W.J. Libby 1972). Northern California populations with pubescent twigs and notched leaves are unique, as are the Baja California populations with very short, thick leaves and about 18 adaxial stomatal rows. In Los Padres National Forest of coastal southern California and in the Cascades of northern California, apparent introgression with A. lowiana (E.Zavarin et al. 1975; J.L. Hamrick and W.J. Libby 1972) has occurred. Many consider A. lowiana (given specific rank in this treatment) as a synonym of A. concolor or place it in an infraspecific rank under that species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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