 | Abies veitchii Lindl.Common NamesVeitch's silver fir (2).Taxonomic notesSyn: A. sikokiana Nakai, A. eichleri Lauche, A. veitchii var. reflexa Koidz. Described varieties include nikkoensis Mayr., olivacea Shiras. (2), and sikokiana (1).Description"A tree up to 25 m high. Crown conical, often branched to the ground. Bark smooth and gray. Branches short, horizontal, with ringed folds near the base. Shoots reddish-brown with quite thick rust coloured down. Buds small, ovate-globose, very resinous. Needles densely arranged, directed forwards and partially upwards, those on the lower side of the shoot partly pectinate, 1-2.5 cm long, apex truncate and bifid, those on the upper side dark green, glossy and grooved, with 2 chalk-white stomata bands beneath (Fig. 32), resin ducts medial or occasionally sub-marginal. Flowers appear in May. Cones cylindrical, 4.5-6.5 cm long and up to 3 cm wide, bluish-violet when young, later brown, ripening in September and October; seed scales very densely arranged, 15 mm wide; bract scales slightly exserted and reflexed. Seed 7 mm long, yellow, wing blackish; 1000 seeds weigh cca 30-40 g. Cotyledons 3-5" (2).RangeJapan: Honshu, 1600-1900 m (2).Big TreeOldestDendrochronologyEthnobotanyObservationsRemarksVar. nikkoensis Mayr. has smaller cones than the type (up to 5 cm), and the bract scales are almost concealed by the seed scales (2).Var. olivacea Shiras. has cones about 7 cm long, olive green when young, later gray-brown. It grows with the typical form in Japan (2). Citations(1) Silba 1986.(2) Vidakovic 1991. |
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