Firs are

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

conifer Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...

ous trees belonging to the

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

''Abies'' () in the family

Pinaceae The Pinaceae (), or pine family, are conifer trees or shrubs, including many of the well-known conifers of commercial importance such as Cedrus, cedars, firs, Tsuga, hemlocks, Pinyon_pine, piñons, larches, pines and spruces. The family is incl ...

. There are approximately 48–65 extant species, found on mountains throughout much of North and

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

, Eurasia, and

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

. The genus is most closely related to '' Keteleeria'', a small genus confined to eastern Asia. The genus name is derived from the Latin "to rise" in reference to the height of its species. The common English name originates with the Old Norse ''fyri'' or the Old Danish ''fyr''. They are large trees, reaching heights of tall with trunk diameters of when mature. Firs can be distinguished from other members of the pine family by the way in which their needle-like

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are attached singly to the branches with a base resembling a

suction cup A suction cup, also known as a sucker, is a device or object that uses the negative Pressure#Fluid pressure, fluid pressure of air or water to adhere to Porosity, nonporous surfaces, creating a Vacuum, partial vacuum. Suction cups occur in nat ...

, and by their cones, which, like those of cedars, stand upright on the branches like candles and disintegrate at maturity. Identification of the different species is based on the size and arrangement of the leaves, the size and shape of the cones, and whether the

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...

scales of the cones are long and exserted, or short and hidden inside the cone.

Description

Leaves

Abies alba PID1015-3.jpg, '' A. alba'' – the underside of leaves have two whitish strips formed by wax-covered

stoma In botany, a stoma (: stomata, from Greek language, Greek ''στόμα'', "mouth"), also called a stomate (: stomates), is a pore found in the Epidermis (botany), epidermis of leaves, stems, and other organs, that controls the rate of gas exc ...

tal bands, while their bases are shaped like suction cups. Abies grandis 5359.JPG, '' A. grandis'' foliage – upper side of the leaves, showing the leaves lying flat either side of the shoot Punta de rama pinsapo (Abies pinsapo) (8620598021).jpg, Foliage of '' A. pinsapo'' showing the radial leaf arrangement in this species File:Abies mariesii2.JPG, Most firs are inbetween the two extremes of flat and radial, with an intermediate arrangement, often with longer leaves at the sides, and shorter leaves above the shoot; here, '' A. mariesii'' in Japan Firs can be distinguished from other members of the pine family by the unique attachment of their needle-like

to the twig by a base that resembles a small

. The leaves are significantly flattened, sometimes even looking like they are pressed, as in '' A. sibirica''. The leaves have two whitish lines on the bottom, each of which is formed by wax-covered

tal bands. In most species, the upper surface of the leaves is uniformly green and shiny, without

ta or with a few on the tip, visible as whitish spots. Other species have the upper surface of leaves dull, greyish green or bluish to silvery (

glaucous ''Glaucous'' (, ) is used to describe the pale grey or bluish-green appearance of the surfaces of some plants, as well as in the names of birds, such as the glaucous gull (''Larus hyperboreus''), glaucous-winged gull (''Larus glaucescens''), ...

), coated by wax with variable number of

tal bands, and not always continuous. An example species with shiny green leaves is '' A. alba'', and an example species with matt waxy leaves is '' A. concolor''. The tips of leaves are usually more or less notched (as in '' A. firma''), but sometimes rounded or dull (as in '' A. concolor'', '' A. magnifica'') or sharp and prickly (as in '' A. bracteata'', '' A. cephalonica'', '' A. holophylla''). The leaves of young plants are usually sharper. The leaves are arranged spirally on the shoots, but by being twisted at their base, the way they spread from the shoot is diverse; in some species comb-like ('pectinate'), with the leaves flat on either side of the shoot (e.g. '' A. alba'', '' A. grandis''), in others, the leaves remain radial (e.g. '' A. pinsapo'') Foliage in the upper crown on cone-bearing branches is different, with the leaves shorter, curved, and sometimes sharp.

Cones

Abies cone & bits.jpg, Intact and disintegrated Bulgarian fir cones Abies holophylla Manchurian Fir cones.jpg, Immature cones of some species are green; here Manchurian fir ''Abies holophylla'' Manchurian Fir Abies holophylla disintegrating cones.jpg, Disintegrating cones of Manchurian fir Abies pindrow India3.jpg, Pindrow fir ''Abies pindrow'' with dark purple cones Caucasian Fir, young cultivated tree with cones, Northumberland.jpg, Caucasian Fir ''Abies nordmanniana'' young cones with reddish scales and yellow-green bracts Noble Fir, young naturalised tree with cones, Northumberland.jpg, Noble fir ''Abies procera'', with five heavy (20 cm, approx 0.5 kg each) cones, three erect, and two hanging where their weight has caused the branch to twist Firs differ from other conifers in having erect, cylindrical cones long that disintegrate at maturity to release the winged

seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

s. In contrast to

spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' ( ), a genus of about 40 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal (taiga) regions of the Northern hemisphere. ''Picea'' ...

s, fir cones are erect; they do not hang, unless heavy enough to twist the branch with their weight. The mature cones are usually brown. When young in summer, they can be green: :'' A. grandis'', '' A. holophylla'' or reddish: :'' A. alba'', '' A. cephalonica'', '' A. nordmanniana'' or bloomed pale glaucous or pinkish: :'' A. numidica'', '' A. pinsapo'' or purple to blue, sometimes very dark blue, almost black: :'' A. forrestii'', '' A. fraseri'', '' A. homolepis'', '' A. lasiocarpa'', '' A. pindrow''. Many species are polymorphic in cone colour, with different individuals of the same species producing either green or purple cones: :'' A. concolor'', '' A. koreana'' (usually purple, rarely green, such as the

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

'Flava'), '' A. magnifica'' (usually green, occasionally purple), '' A. nephrolepis'' (f. ''chlorocarpa'' green), '' A. sibirica'', '' A. veitchii'' (f. ''olivacea'' green) The cone scale bracts can be short and hidden in the mature cone, or long and exposed ('exserted'); this can vary even within a species, e.g. in ''

Abies magnifica ''Abies magnifica'', the red fir or silvertip fir, is a western North American fir, native to the mountains of southwest Oregon and California in the United States. It is a high-elevation tree, typically occurring at elevation, though only rare ...

'' var. ''magnifica'', the bracts are hidden, but in var. ''critchfieldii'' and var. ''shastensis'', they are exserted. The bracts scales are often a different colour to the cone scales, which can make for a very attractive combination valued in ornamental trees.

Classification

The oldest pollen assignable to the genus dates to the Late Cretaceous in Siberia, with records of leaves and reproductive organs across the Northern Hemisphere from the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

onwards.

Section ''Abies''

Section ''Abies'' is found in central, south, and eastern Europe and Asia Minor. * ''

Abies alba Firs are evergreen coniferous trees belonging to the genus ''Abies'' () in the family Pinaceae. There are approximately 48–65 extant species, found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Eurasia, and North Africa. The g ...

'' – silver fir or European silver fir * '' Abies nebrodensis'' – Sicilian fir * '' Abies borisii-regis'' – Bulgarian fir * ''

Abies cephalonica ''Abies cephalonica'', commonly known as Greek fir or Cephalonian Fir, is a fir native to the mountains of Greece, primarily in the Peloponnesos and the island of Kefallonia, intergrading with the closely related Bulgarian fir further north i ...

'' – Greek fir * '' Abies nordmanniana'' – Caucasian fir or Nordmann fir ** ''Abies nordmanniana'' subsp. ''equi-trojani'' – Kazdağı fir, Turkish fir * ''

Abies pinsapo ''Abies pinsapo'', Spanish fir, is a species of tree in the family Pinaceae, native to southern Spain and northern Morocco. Related to other species of Mediterranean firs, it appears at altitudes of in the Sierra de Grazalema in the Province of ...

'' – Spanish fir ** ''Abies pinsapo'' var. ''marocana'' – Moroccan fir * '' Abies numidica'' – Algerian fir * '' Abies cilicica'' – Syrian fir

Section ''Balsamea''

Section ''Balsamea'' is found in northern Asia and North America, and high mountains further south. * '' Abies fraseri'' – Fraser's fir * ''

Abies balsamea ''Abies balsamea'' or balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada (Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland west to central Alberta) and the northeastern United States (Minnesota east to Maine, and south in the Ap ...

'' – balsam fir ** ''Abies balsamea'' var. ''phanerolepis'' – bracted balsam fir * ''

Abies lasiocarpa ''Abies lasiocarpa'', the subalpine fir or Rocky Mountain fir, is a western North American fir tree. Description ''Abies lasiocarpa'' is a medium-sized evergreen conifer with a very narrow conic crown, growing to tall, exceptionally , with a t ...

'' – subalpine fir ** ''Abies lasiocarpa'' var. ''arizonica'' – corkbark fir ** ''Abies lasiocarpa'' var. ''bifolia'' – Rocky Mountains subalpine fir * ''

Abies sibirica ''Abies sibirica'', the Siberian fir, is a coniferous evergreen tree native to the taiga east of the Volga River and south of 67°40' North latitude in Siberia through Turkestan, northeast Xinjiang, Mongolia and Heilongjiang. Distribution The ...

'' – Siberian fir ** ''Abies sibirica'' var. ''semenovii'' * '' Abies sachalinensis'' – Sakhalin fir * '' Abies koreana'' – Korean fir * '' Abies nephrolepis'' – Khinghan fir * '' Abies veitchii'' – Veitch's fir ** ''Abies veitchii'' var. ''sikokiana'' – Shikoku fir

Section ''Grandis''

Section ''Grandis'' is found in western North America to Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, in lowlands in the north, moderate altitudes in south. * ''

Abies grandis ''Abies grandis'' (grand fir, giant fir, lowland white fir, great silver fir, western white fir, Vancouver fir, or Oregon fir) is a fir native to northwestern North America, occurring at altitudes of sea level to . It is a major constituent of t ...

'' – grand fir or giant fir ** ''Abies grandis'' var. ''grandis'' – Coast grand fir ** ''Abies grandis'' var. ''idahoensis'' – interior grand fir * ''

Abies concolor ''Abies concolor'', the white fir, concolor fir, or Colorado fir, is a coniferous tree in the pine family Pinaceae. This tree is native to the mountains of western North America, including the Sierra Nevada and southern Rocky Mountains, and int ...

'' – white fir ** ''Abies concolor'' subsp. ''concolor'' – Rocky Mountain white fir or Colorado white fir ** ''Abies concolor'' subsp. ''lowiana'' – Low's white fir or Sierra Nevada white fir * '' Abies durangensis'' – Durango fir ** ''Abies durangensis'' var. ''coahuilensis'' – Coahuila fir * '' Abies flinckii'' – Jalisco fir * ''

Abies guatemalensis ''Abies guatemalensis'', the Guatemalan fir or ''pinabete'', is an evergreen tree native to Central America and is the southernmost member of the genus '' Abies'' being spread to the south lower than 14° N. Its range is from southern (less from ...

'' – Guatemalan fir ** ''Abies guatemalensis'' var. ''guatemalensis'' ** ''Abies guatemalensis'' var. ''jaliscana'' * '' Abies vejarii''

Section ''Momi''

Section ''Momi'' is found in east and central Asia and the Himalaya, generally at low to moderate altitudes. * '' Abies kawakamii'' – Taiwan fir * '' Abies homolepis'' – Nikko fir * '' Abies recurvata'' – Min fir ** ''Abies recurvata'' var. ''ernestii'' – Min fir * ''

Abies firma ''Abies firma'', the momi fir, is a species of fir native to central and southern Japan, growing at low to moderate altitudes of 50–1200 m. ''Abies firma'' is a medium-sized to large evergreen coniferous tree growing to tall and in trunk dia ...

'' – Momi fir * '' Abies beshanzuensis'' – Baishanzu fir * ''

Abies holophylla ''Abies holophylla'', also called needle fir or Manchurian fir, is a species of fir native to mountainous regions of northern Korea, southern Ussuriland, and China in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning. It is an evergreen conif ...

'' – Manchurian fir * '' Abies chensiensis'' – Shensi fir ** ''Abies chensiensis'' subsp. ''salouenensis'' – Salween fir * ''

Abies pindrow ''Abies pindrow'', the pindrow fir, West Himalayan fir, or silver fir, is a fir native to the western Himalaya and adjacent mountains, from northeast Afghanistan east through northern Pakistan and India to central Nepal. Description It is a ...

'' – Pindrow fir * '' Abies ziyuanensis'' – Ziyuan fir

Section ''Amabilis''

Section ''Amabilis'' is found in the Pacific Coast mountains in North America and Japan, in high rainfall areas. * ''

Abies amabilis ''Abies amabilis'', commonly known as the Pacific silver fir, is a fir native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, occurring in the Pacific Coast Ranges and the Cascade Range. It is also commonly referred to in English as the white fir, red ...

'' – Pacific silver fir * ''

Abies mariesii ''Abies mariesii'', also known as Maries' fir and , is a species of fir native to the mountains of central and northern Honshū, Japan. It grows at altitudes of 750–1,900 m in northern Honshū, and 1,800–2,900 m in central Honshū, always ...

'' – Maries' fir

Section ''Pseudopicea''

Section ''Pseudopicea'' is found in the Sino – Himalayan mountains at high altitudes. * '' Abies delavayi'' – Delavay's fir ** ''Abies delavayi'' var. ''nukiangensis'' ** ''Abies delavayi'' var. ''motuoensis'' ** ''Abies delavayi'' subsp. ''fansipanensis'' * '' Abies fabri'' – Faber's fir ** ''Abies fabri'' subsp. ''minensis'' * '' Abies forrestii'' – Forrest's fir * '' Abies densa'' – Bhutan fir * '' Abies spectabilis'' – East Himalayan fir * '' Abies fargesii'' – Farges' fir * '' Abies fanjingshanensis'' – Fanjingshan fir * '' Abies yuanbaoshanensis'' – Yuanbaoshan fir * '' Abies squamata'' – flaky fir

Section ''Oiamel''

Section ''Oiamel'' is found in central Mexico at high altitudes. * ''

Abies religiosa ''Abies religiosa'', the oyamel fir or sacred fir, (known as in Spanish) is a fir native to the mountains of central and southern Mexico ( Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, Sierra Madre del Sur) and western Guatemala. It grows at high elevations o ...

'' – sacred fir * '' Abies hickelii'' – Hickel's fir ** ''Abies hickelii'' var. ''oaxacana'' – Oaxaca fir

Section ''Nobilis''

Section ''Nobilis'' (western

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

, high altitudes) * '' Abies procera'' – noble fir * ''

'' – red fir ** ''Abies magnifica'' var. ''shastensis'' – Shasta red fir

Section ''Bracteata''

Section ''Bracteata'' (

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

coast) * ''

Abies bracteata ''Abies bracteata'', the Santa Lucia fir or bristlecone fir, is the rarest fir in North America, and according to some, the world. It is confined to steep-sided slopes and the bottoms of rocky canyons in the Santa Lucia Mountains, in the Big Sur ...

'' – bristlecone fir *?†'' Abies rigida'' - (

Priabonian The Priabonian is, in the ICS's geologic timescale, the latest age or the upper stage of the Eocene Epoch or Series. It spans the time between . The Priabonian is preceded by the Bartonian and is followed by the Rupelian, the lowest stage ...

- Chattian; Colorado)

Section ''Incertae sedis''

Section ''Incertae sedis'' * †'' Abies milleri'' – (Extinct) Early

Ecology

Firs are used as food plants by the

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder ...

s of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

species, including ''

Chionodes ''Chionodes'' is a genus of moths of the family Gelechiidae. It is distributed throughout much of the world. The larvae of many species use the Douglas fir as a host plant. Species *The formosella species-group **''Chionodes formosella''-complex ...

abella'' (recorded on white fir), autumnal moth, conifer swift (a pest of balsam fir), the engrailed, grey pug,

mottled umber The mottled umber (''Erannis defoliaria'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is common throughout much of the Palearctic region. The species was Species description, first described by Carl Alexander Clerck in 1759. Distribution The specie ...

, pine beauty and the tortrix moths '' Cydia illutana'' (whose caterpillars are recorded to feed on European silver fir cone scales) and '' C. duplicana'' (on European silver fir bark around injuries or

canker A plant canker is a small area of dead tissue, which grows slowly, often over years. Some cankers are of only minor consequence, but others are ultimately lethal and therefore can have major economic implications for agriculture and horticultur ...

). ''

'' (sacred fir) trees give roosting shelter to overwintering

monarch butterflies The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (''Danaus plexippus'') is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown. ...

Phytochemistry

''Abies'' produce a variety of

terpenoid The terpenoids, also known as isoprenoids, are a class of naturally occurring organic compound, organic chemicals derived from the 5-carbon compound isoprene and its derivatives called terpenes, diterpenes, etc. While sometimes used interchangeabl ...

s. The analyses of the Zavarin groupfrom Smedman et al. 1969 to Zavarin et al. 1977showed variation in terpenoid composition of the bark by genetics, geography, age and size of the tree.

Uses

Wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

of most firs is considered unsuitable for general

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

use and is often used as pulp or for the manufacture of

plywood Plywood is a composite material manufactured from thin layers, or "plies", of wood veneer that have been stacked and glued together. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured boards, which include plywood, medium-density fibreboa ...

and rough timber. It is commonly used in

Canadian Lumber Standard Canadian Lumber Standard, typically abbrievated as CLS, is a type and standard/grade of processed and sawn lumber (timber) used in many countries. History CLS was originally a product of Canada used in the construction of sturdy timber-framed hous ...

graded wood. Because this genus has no insect or decay resistance qualities after logging, it is generally recommended in construction purposes for indoor use only (e.g. indoor

drywall Drywall (also called plasterboard, dry lining, wallboard, sheet rock, gib board, gypsum board, buster board, turtles board, slap board, custard board, gypsum panel and gyprock) is a panel made of calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum), with or with ...

on framing). Firwood left outside cannot be expected to last more than 12 to 18 months, depending on the type of climate it is exposed to. Caucasian fir, noble fir, Fraser's fir and balsam fir are popular

Christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen pinophyta, conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, associated with the celebration of Christmas. It may also consist of an artificial tree of similar appearance. The custom was deve ...

s, generally considered to be the best for this purpose, with aromatic foliage that does not shed many needles on drying out. Many are also decorative garden trees, notably

Korean fir ''Abies koreana'' (, ''Gusang namu''), the Korean fir, is a species of fir native to the higher mountains of South Korea, including Jeju Island. It grows at altitudes of in temperate rainforest with high rainfall and cool, humid summers, and he ...

and Fraser's fir, which produce brightly coloured cones even when very young, still only tall. Many fir species are grown in botanic gardens and other specialist tree collections in Europe and North America. ''Abies spectabilis'' or Talispatra is used in

Ayurveda Ayurveda (; ) is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practised throughout India and Nepal, where as much as 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayur ...

as an antitussive (cough suppressant) drug.

References

External links

''Abies''
at The Gymnosperm Database
''Abies''
from the website ''Trees and Shrubs Online''

at the Arboretum de Villardebelle—images of cones of selected species
Platt, Karen
"Gold Fever" provides descriptions of golden or yellow-leaved Abies cultivars {{authority control Pinaceae Extant Ypresian first appearances Taxa named by Philip Miller