East Himalayan Fir

Similar to above species, but smaller trees with branches ± spreading, pubescent‑hairy, shoots and shorter cones.

Trees to 50 m tall; trunk to more than 1.5 m d.b.h.; bark rough, scaly; branchlets yellowish gray, brown, or reddish brown, furrowed, pubescent or glabrous, densely leafy; winter buds globose or ovoid, resinous. Leaves ascending on upper side of cone-bearing branchlets, pectinately arranged in 2 lateral sets on young and vegetative branchlets, bright green adaxially, linear, 2-6 cm × 2-2.5 mm, stomatal lines in 2 white bands abaxially, resin canals 2, marginal, apex emarginate or 2-cleft. Seed cones dark purple, maturing to dark brown or blue-brown with a little purple, cylindric, 8.5-20 × 4.5-7.5 cm. Seed scales at middle of cones flabellate-trapeziform, 2.3-2.8 × 2.8-3.4 cm, margin auriculate and thin laterally. Bracts included, spatulate, 1/3-1/2 as long as seed scales, apex with an acute, short cusp. Seeds ca. 1 cm; wing broadly cuneate, longer than seeds, apex truncate.

Himalaya (Chitral to C. Nepal).

Distribution: Afghanistan, Himalayas from Chitral eastward to C. Nepal.

Xizang [Afghanistan, N India, Kashmir, Nepal]

2400-4400 m

This taxon may only be a high altitude form of Abies pindrow. More collections and field study is required.,

Mountains; 2600-3800 m.

Pinus spectabilis D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 2: 55. 1825; Abies webbiana (Wallich ex D. Don) Lindley; Pinus webbiana Wallich ex D. Don.

Abies spectabilis is occurring in Xizang of China, Afghanistan, N India, Kashmir, Nepal.

Phylogenetic analysis of restriction site data from the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) was conducted for Abies to evaluate different infrageneric classification schemes (Xiang et al., 2004). Results indicated seven subclades were resolved: (1) sect. Bracteata, (2) sect. Balsamea (excluding A. kawakamii), (3) sect. Amabilis, (4) an eastern Asian group including sect. Momi, part of sect. Pseudopicea, and A. kawakamii, (5) core of sect. Pseudopicea, (6) a Mediterranean-south-western Asian group containing sect. Abies and sect. Piceaster and (7) sect. Nobilis.

Trees to 50 m tall; trunk to more than 1.5 m d.b.h.; bark rough, scaly; branchlets yellowish gray, brown, or reddish brown, furrowed, pubescent or glabrous, densely leafy; winter buds globose or ovoid, resinous. Leaves ascending on upper side of cone-bearing branchlets, pectinately arranged in 2 lateral sets on young and vegetative branchlets, bright green adaxially, linear, 2-6 cm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, stomatal lines in 2 white bands abaxially, resin canals 2, marginal, apex emarginate or 2-cleft. Seed cones dark purple, maturing to dark brown or blue-brown with a little purple, cylindric, 8.5-20 cm long, 4.5-7.5 cm wide. Seed scales at middle of cones flabellate-trapeziform, 2.3-2.8 cm long, 2.8-3.4 cm wide, margin auriculate and thin laterally. Bracts included, spatulate, 1/3-1/2 as long as seed scales, apex with an acute, short cusp. Seeds ca. 1 cm; wing broadly cuneate, longer than seeds, apex truncate.

Growing in mountains; 2600-3800 m.

Abies spectabilis is reported be Lower Risk/least concern (Conifer Specialist Group, 1998).