Abies procera
Abies magnifica
noble fir
California red fir, magnificant silver fir, red fir, Shasta red fir, silvertip fir
grayish brown, in age becoming thick and deeply furrowed (furrows and ridges about same width) and reddish brown (especially reddish when plates flake off).
grayish, thin, with age thickening and becoming deeply furrowed with ridges being often 4 times wider than furrows, plates reddish.
diverging from trunk at right angles, stiff;
twigs reddish brown, finely pubescent for several years.
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, tan, ovoid, small, not resinous, apex rounded;
basal scales short, broad, equilaterally triangular, pubescent centrally, not resinous, margins entire to crenate, apex sharp-pointed.
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.
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.
2–3.7cm × 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.
at pollination ± purple, ± red, or reddish brown.
at pollination ± purple or reddish brown.
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 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.
=24.
=24.
Abies procera
Abies magnifica
See discussion under Abies magnifica.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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.)
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