Abies bracteata
Bristlecone Fir ( Abies bracteata )
The Bristlecone Fir ( Abies bracteata ), also called the Santa Lucia fir, is a species of the genus of fir (Abies ) in the pine family ( Pinaceae ). It grows only in the Santa Lucia Mountains on the coast of California.
Description
Vegetative characteristics
The bristlecone pine is an evergreen tree that stature heights of 12 to 30, rarely up to 50 meters and can reach diameter at breast height of up to 1 meter. The pointed crown is formed of short, easily drooping branches that come off horizontally from the trunk. The bark of the branches is usually smooth, but can also have a little hair and its color can choose between glossy red-brown, brown vary a purple green or a simple. Young trees have smooth, thin, bright reddish-brown bark. In older trees this bark ruptures and there is a Schuppenborke. The seedlings form from about seven cotyledons ( cotyledons ).
Those with a size of 10 to 20 centimeters oval to spindle-shaped buds are yellowish brown in color, pointed and resin-free. The needles are spirally arranged in two rows or on the branches and spread a pungent odor. The twisted at their base, stiff and sharp needles are between 2.5 and 6 inches long and 2.5 to 3 millimeters wide. The needle top is colored dark green. Are located on the needle base two white Stomatabänder which every eight to ten Stomatareihen has.
Generative features
The bristlecone pine is monoecious - getrenntgeschlechtig ( monoecious ). The flowering time is early May. The pale yellow to yellow -green female cones are 5-7 inches long and 2-3 inches thick. The egg-shaped, stalked cones are ovoid with a length of 6 to 14 inches and a diameter of 4 to 5.5 inches. When ripe in late August to October are violet - brown to purple - brown. The shiny red-brown seeds are about 5 millimeters long and have a 8 to 11 millimeters long wings.
Distribution and location
The bristlecone pine occurs only at a coastal strip in the Santa Lucia Mountains ago in California. This coastal strip is located in the Los Padres National Forest. One finds Abies bracteata at altitudes 180-1570 m.
Abies bracteata is a species of the Mediterranean climate. Depending on location, years of precipitation is 500-1300 mm. One finds the way both in moist ravines and on rocky hillsides.
There are often mixed stands with the Coulter Pine ( Pinus coulteri ), the ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), Douglas fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ) and with Quercus chrysolepis formed.
Use
Previously, the fragrant resin was used as incense replacement.
System
The first description of this kind was in 1836 under the name Pinus bracteata by David Don in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, 17, 443 S. Pierre Antoine Poiteau she put 1845 in Review Horticole; ..., Ser. 2, 4, 7, under the name of S. Abies bracteata in the genus Abies. The bristlecone pine is allocated within the genus of fir (Abies ) as the only species of the section Bracteata.
Other synonyms for Abies bracteata D.Don are: Abies venusta Douglas, AIEs venusta ( Douglas ) K.Koch, Pinus bracteata ( D.Don ) Loud, Pinus venusta Douglas, Abies religiosa sensu Hook.. et Arn. , Picea bracteata ( D.Don ) Loud. , Abies bracteata ( D.Don ) Hook. et Arn. , Taxodium sempervirens Hook. et Arn. and Sequoia religiosa ( Hook. et Arn. ) Presl.
Threats and conservation
The bristlecone pine is classified as "low risk" in the IUCN Red List. The IUCN points out the recommended protection of Abies bracteata and the necessary re-examination of the hazard. The reason for the lower rating is called that the range of the species is larger than originally thought.
Swell
- Christopher J. Earle: Abies bracteata. In: The Gymnosperm Database. May 22, 2011, accessed on 24 October 2011 ( english, Section Description and systematics).