Abies magnifica
Abies lowiana
California red fir, magnificant silver fir, red fir, Shasta red fir, silvertip fir
California white fir, Sierra 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 and breaking into deep longitudinal furrows ("corky"), which may reveal inner yellow-caramel periderm.
ascending in upper crown, descending in lower crown;
twigs opposite to whorled, light yellow to ± tan, reddish pubescent for 1–2 years.
diverging from trunk at right angles, or slightly drooping;
twigs mostly opposite, yellow-green, pubescent or glabrous.
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, tan, globose, resinous, moderately large, apex rounded;
basal scales short, broad, equilaterally triangular, sparsely pubescent, 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.
2–6cm × 2–3mm, mostly 2-ranked, flexible, proximal portion ± straight;
cross section flat, grooved adaxially;
odor pungent, pinelike;
abaxial surface glaucous or not, with 5–8 stomatal rows on each side of midrib;
adaxial surface light green, not glaucous, with ca. (5–)7(–9) stomatal rows at midleaf, these fewer toward leaf apex;
apex weakly notched;
resin canals small, near margins and abaxial epidermal layer.
at pollination ± purple or reddish brown.
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, 8–9 × 4–4.5cm, olive-green, turning to yellowish brown, then darker brown, sessile, apex round;
scales ca. 2.5–3 × 2.8–3.8cm, pubescent;
bracts included.
=24.
Abies magnifica
Abies lowiana
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.)
CA
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
