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noble fir

Habit Trees to 80m; trunk to 2.2m diam.; crown spirelike.
Bark

grayish brown, in age becoming thick and deeply furrowed (furrows and ridges about same width) and reddish brown (especially reddish when plates flake off).

Branches

diverging from trunk at right angles, stiff;

twigs reddish brown, finely pubescent for several years.

Buds

hidden by leaves, tan, ovoid, small, not resinous, apex rounded;

basal scales short, broad, equilaterally triangular, pubescent centrally, not resinous, margins entire to crenate, apex sharp-pointed.

Leaves

1–3(–3.5)cm × 1.5–2mm, 1-ranked, flexible, proximal portion often appressed to twig for 2–3mm (best seen on abaxial surface of twig), distal portion divergent;

cross section flat, with prominent raised midrib abaxially, with or without groove adaxially, or cross section 4-sided on fertile branches;

odor pungent, faintly turpentinelike;

abaxial surface with 2–4 glaucous bands, each band with (4–)6–7 stomatal rows;

adaxial surface bluish green, with 0–2 glaucous bands, each band with 0–7 stomatal rows at midleaf;

apex rounded to notched;

leaves on fertile branches 4-sided with 4 bands of stomates below;

resin canals small, near margins and abaxial epidermal layer.

Pollen cones

at pollination ± purple, ± red, or reddish brown.

Seed(s)

cones oblong-cylindric, 10–15 × 5–6.5cm, green, red, or purple, overlaid with green bracts, at maturity brown (bracts light-colored and scales dark), sessile, apex rounded;

scales ca. 2.5 × 3cm, pubescent;

bracts exserted and reflexed over scales.

2n

=24.

Abies procera

Habitat Mixed coniferous forests
Elevation 60–2700m (200–8900ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

See discussion under Abies magnifica.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Pinaceae > Abies
Sibling taxa
A. amabilis, A. balsamea, A. bifolia, A. bracteata, A. concolor, A. fraseri, A. grandis, A. lasiocarpa, A. lowiana, A. magnifica
Synonyms A. nobilis
Name authority Rehder: Rhodora 42: 522. (1940)
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