Sikkim Spruce

The timber is used for construction, and the species is cultivated for afforestation.

Trees to 60 m tall; bark rough, flaking, scaly; branchlets pendulous, initially brownish yellow, turning gray in 2nd year, slender, glabrous; winter buds brown, ovoid or conical-ovoid. Leaves directed forward on upper side of branchlets, spreading on lower side, linear, flattened or subflattened, broadly rhombic in cross section, 1.5-3.5 cm × 1.1-1.8 mm, slightly keeled on both surfaces, stomatal lines 5-7 in each of 2 white bands adaxially, occasionally 1-3 incomplete stomatal lines abaxially, apex acute or acuminate. Seed cones green, purple at margin of seed scales, maturing brown or dark brown, oblong-cylindric or cylindric, 9-11 × 3-4.5 cm. Seed scales closely arranged, obovate or obtrullate, thick, ca. 2 × 1.8 cm, exposed part smooth and glossy, not striate. Seeds dark brown, ca. 5 mm; wing pale brown, lustrous, obovate-oblong, 1.1-1.5 cm × ca. 5 mm.

S Xizang [Bhutan, Nepal, Sikkim]

Mountains; 2900-3600 m.

Abies spinulosa Griffith, J. Trav. 259. 1847; Picea morindoides Rehder; P. spinulosa var. yatungensis Silba.