Bhutan Fir

Trees to 60 m tall; bark scaly; branchlets initially grayish yellow or light brown, turning yellowish gray or grayish brown in 2nd or 3rd year, ± pubescent; winter buds resinous. Leaves radially spreading or ascending on upper side of branchlets, pectinately arranged in 2 lateral sets on lower side, linear, 2-4.5 cm × 2.5-3 mm, stomatal lines usually in 2 white bands abaxially, resin canals 2, marginal, abaxial, margin revolute, apex obtuse or emarginate. Seed cones subsessile, black-purple at maturity, 9-10 × 4-4.5 cm. Seed scales at middle of cones almost flabellate-trapeziform or reniform-trapeziform, thick, incurved, 1.5-1.9 × 1.8-2.2 cm. Bracts cuneate-obovate, 5/6 as long as to ± equaling seed scales, apex shortly cuspidate, cusp exserted, acute. Seeds with wing black-brown, cuneate-oblong, and truncate at apex.

E. Nepal to Assam, and S.E. Tibet.

S Xizang [Bhutan, NE India, Nepal, Sikkim]

3000-4000 m

Mountains; 2800-3700 m.

Abies spectabilis (D. Don) Spach var. densa (Griffith) Silba.