"This Chinese species cannot be confused with any other Abies species because of the unique bark" (2).
Common Names
Flaky fir (4).Taxonomic notes
No synonyms (5). The sole species in Section Squamatae E. Murray.Description
"A tree up to 40 m high. Bark reddish-brown, exfoliating in thin papery layer like that of a birch, even on trees only 6 year of age. Shoots with dense brown hairs. Buds globose, red-brown, very resinous. Needles densely arranged, erect, not pectinate, linear, 1.5-2.5 cm long, rounded or acute apex, bluish green, with 2 white stomata bands on lower surface. Cones oblong-ovate, 5-6 cm long, violet when young; the tips of bract scales protruding past the seed scales, which are 1.5 cm wide" (4).Range
China: W Sichuan alpine zone at 3500-4000m (1, 4); also S Qinghai; E Tibet (5).Big Tree
Oldest
Dendrochronology
Ethnobotany
Observations
Remarks
Citations
(1) Silba 1986.(2) van Gelderen et al. 1986.
(3) Cheng & Fu 1987.
(4) Vidakovic 1991.
(5) Farjon 1998.
[Abies] [Pinaceae] [home]
This page is from the Gymnosperm Database
URL: http://www.geocities.com/~earlecj/pi/ab/squamata.htm
Edited by Christopher J. Earle
E-mail:earlecj@earthlink.com
Last modified on 22-Jun-1999