Abies densa
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Abies densa is a plant from the genus of the fir ( Abies ) in the family of Pinaceae (Pinaceae). It occurs in the mountains of South Asia .
description
Abies densa grows as an evergreen tree that can reach heights of up to 60 meters and a diameter of up to 250 centimeters at chest height . The trunk is straight and ends in a pyramidal to columnar crown that flattens out with age. The gray bark of young trees is scaly and later tears into large sheets. Young twigs have a yellowish to reddish brown bark that becomes grayish and furrowed over time. In the furrows of the bark sparse hairs occasionally appear.
The straight needles are 1.5 to 5 centimeters long and 1.5 to 2.5 millimeters wide. Shadow needles are more or less comb-shaped on the branches. On the underside of the needle there are two stoma bands .
The male cones on the side of the branches are 2 to 4.5 centimeters in size. They are yellowish in color and have purple-blue microsporophylls . The upright and stalked cones are cylindrical in shape. They are between 8 and 12 inches long and 4 to 5.5 inches thick. Initially they are purple-blue, and when they are ripe they are dark purple in color. When they release the seeds, they are colored brown. The seeds are around 8 millimeters long and 4 millimeters wide. Each seed has a brown wing that is around 10 millimeters long and 5 millimeters wide.
Distribution and location
The natural range of Abies densa includes the mountains of Eastern Nepal , Bhutan , the Indian states of Assam and Sikkim as well as the autonomous region of Tibet .
The climate is characterized by the monsoons and is therefore very humid. The annual amount of precipitation is usually more than 2000 millimeters. The summers are warm and humid and the winters cold and snowy. Abies densa grows in cloud forests at altitudes of 2450 to 4000 meters.
Abies densa forms mixed stands in lower elevations with the tailed maple ( Acer caudatum ), Acer pectinatum as well as with different species of the genera Prunus , the whitebeam ( Sorbus ) and the rhododendrons ( Rhododendron ). The Sikkim spruce ( Picea spinulosa ) and the Himalayan hemlock ( Tsuga dumosa ) also appear as mixed tree species at locations above 3000 meters above sea level . Near the tree line, Abies densa is often associated with the Himalayan birch ( Betula utilis ), the Sikkim larch ( Larix griffithii ) and Juniperus squamata .
Systematics
Abies densa is assigned to the Pseudopicea section and the Delavayianae subsection within the genus of the firs ( Abies ) . The first description by William Griffith was after his death in 1854 in Notulae ad Plantas Asiaticas. Part 4 published. Occasionally the species Delavays fir ( Abies delavayi ) is subordinated. Other synonyms are Abies spectabilis var. Densa (Griff.) Silba and Abies fordei Rushforth .
use
In its area of distribution, Abies densa is often felled for logging. The wood is used, among other things, in building construction. The species is rarely planted as an ornamental tree.
Hazard and protection
Abies densa is listed on the IUCN Red List as "not at risk". It is pointed out, however, that a new check of the risk is necessary.
swell
- Christopher J. Earle: Abies densa. In: The Gymnosperm Database. www.conifers.org, accessed January 5, 2011 .
- Abies densa. In: Flora of China. www.efloras.org, accessed January 5, 2011 (English).
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Christopher J. Earle: Abies densa. In: The Gymnosperm Database. www.conifers.org, accessed January 5, 2011 .
- ↑ Abies densa in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2010. Posted by: Conifer Specialist Group, 1998. Accessed January 5 2011th
Web links
- Abies densa in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2010. Posted by: Conifer Specialist Group, 1998. Accessed January 5 2011th