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noble fir

California white fir, Sierra white fir

Habit Trees to 80m; trunk to 2.2m diam.; crown spirelike. Trees to 60m; trunk to 1.9m diam.; crown somewhat 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).

gray, thin, smooth, with age thickening and breaking into deep longitudinal furrows ("corky"), which may reveal inner yellow-caramel periderm.

Branches

diverging from trunk at right angles, stiff;

twigs reddish brown, finely pubescent for several years.

diverging from trunk at right angles, or slightly drooping;

twigs mostly opposite, yellow-green, pubescent or glabrous.

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.

exposed, tan, globose, resinous, moderately large, apex rounded;

basal scales short, broad, equilaterally triangular, sparsely pubescent, not resinous, margins entire, 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.

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.

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.

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.

2n

=24.

Abies procera

Abies lowiana

Habitat Mixed coniferous forests Mixed coniferous forests
Elevation 60–2700m (200–8900ft) 900–2300m (3000–7500ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV
Discussion

See discussion under Abies magnifica.

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

Source FNA vol. 2. FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Pinaceae > Abies Pinaceae > Abies
Sibling taxa
A. amabilis, A. balsamea, A. bifolia, A. bracteata, A. concolor, A. fraseri, A. grandis, A. lasiocarpa, A. lowiana, A. magnifica
A. amabilis, A. balsamea, A. bifolia, A. bracteata, A. concolor, A. fraseri, A. grandis, A. lasiocarpa, A. magnifica, A. procera
Synonyms A. nobilis Picea lowiana, A. concolor var. lowiana
Name authority Rehder: Rhodora 42: 522. (1940) (Gordon) A. Murray bis: Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. London 3: 317. (1863)
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