Picea spinulosa

The Sikkim Spruce ( Picea spinulosa ) is a plant of the family (Pinaceae ). It is native to the areas around the eastern Himalayas.

Description

The Sikkim spruce grows as a evergreen tree that can reach heights of growth of up to 60 meters. The rough bark peels off in scale-like pieces. The first hairy, brownish-yellow bark of the branches verkahlt in the second year and turns gray.

The linealischen needles have a wide diamond-shaped cross-section and are 1.5 to 3.5 inches long and 1.1 to 1.8 millimeters wide. They are easily keeled on both sides and have a pointed tip. On the upper leaf surface are found two white Stomatabänder each with five to seven Stomatalinien. On the underside of leaves are occasionally one to three incompletely formed Stomatalinien.

The pins are elongated cylindrical shape with a length of 9-11 centimeters and a thickness of 3 to 4.5 centimeters to cylindrical. They are initially green with violet colored edges of the seed scales and change color to maturity through brown to dark brown. The inverted - ovate, thick seed scales are about 2 centimeters long and 1.8 centimeters wide. The exposed surfaces are smooth and shiny. The dark brown seeds are about 5 millimeters in size and have a shiny light brown, oblong - ovate wrong wing which 1.1 to 1.5 inches long and about 0.5 centimeter wide.

Distribution and location

The natural range of Sikkim spruce comprises Bhutan, Nepal, the northern Indian state of Sikkim, and the southern and southeastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The Sikkim spruce grows at altitudes 2400-3600 meters.

Use

The wood is used as construction timber use. Furthermore, the Sikkim spruce is planted for reforestation.

System

Picea spinulosa is allocated within the genus of spruce (Picea ) the subgenus Picea and the Section Omorikae.

The first description as Abies spinulosa was in 1848 by William Griffith in Journal of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bootan, Affghanistan ..., Volume 1, pages 259, 265 and 275 Augustine Henry led the way on 1906 in The Gardeners ' Chronicle, Series 3, Volume 39, page 219 as Picea spinulosa in the genus Picea.

Threats and conservation

The Sikkim spruce is classified as " not at risk " in the IUCN Red List. It is noted, however, that a re-examination of risk is necessary.

Swell

• Christopher J. Earle: Picea spinulosa. In: The Gymnosperm Database. www.conifers.org, November 23, 2012, accessed on 20 March 2013 ( English).
• Liguo Fu, Nan Li, Thomas S. Elias & Robert R. Mill: Pinaceae. Picea. In: Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven & Hong Deyuan (eds.): Flora of China. Cycadaceae through Fagaceae. Volume 4, Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing and St. Louis in 1999, ISBN 0-915279-70-3, Picea spinulosa, p.31 ( this printed work is the same text online, Picea spinulosa - Online).