Abies chensiensis
Shensi Fir in the botanical garden of Freiburg
The Shensi Fir ( Abies chensiensis ) is a plant of the family (Pinaceae ). Its distribution area covers China, Tibet and India.
Description
The Shensi Fir grows as evergreen, geradstämmiger tree that can reach the stature heights of up to 50 meters and diameter at breast height of up to 250 centimeters. The short main branches are strong. Young trees have smooth, dark gray bark, which tears open lengthwise in older trees. Branches have a shiny yellow -gray to yellow-brown bark, which may have circular scars after the dropping of needles. Between the scars, the bark is roughened.
The oval to conical buds are resinous and are about 10 millimeters long and 6 millimeters thick. The bud scales are colored reddish brown. The needles are arranged more or less like a comb in two rows on the branches. The flat needles are 1.5 to 4.8 inches long and 2.5 to 3.0 millimeters wide. They are dark green on the needle top and twisted at the base. At the needle bottom you will find two broad Stomatabänder.
Male cones are about 10 millimeters in size. The upstanding stems of short pins are oval to cylindrical in shape, cylindrical, reach a length of 7 to 10 inches and a diameter of 3 to 4 centimeters. They are colored green to the beginning of flowering and maturity towards them turn brown. The seed scales are 1.5 to 3 inches long and 2.5 to 3.5 inches wide. The bracts are about three quarters times as long as the seed scales. The brown, egg-shaped seeds are 8-10 mm long and about 5 millimeters thick. They have a 20 mm long, pale brown colored wings.
Distribution and location
The distribution of Shensi Fir ranges north to southern Shaanxi and southern Gansu. To the east the limit of spread through western Hubei, Henan and south- south-east of the Tibet Autonomous Region runs. The western boundary runs through western Sichuan. To the south it extends to the northwest of Yunnan and northeastern Arunachal Pradesh.
The Shensi Fir is a species of cold - humid climates. They are found at altitudes of 2100 and 3500 meters. The annual rainfall is between 1,000 and 2,000 millimeters.
There shall be both pure and mixed stands. Pure stands occur mainly in the Tsin -ling Shan. At higher altitudes, especially with Farges Fir ( Abies fargesii ), Larix potaninii, various spruces (Picea ), and with the Taiwan Hemlock ( Tsuga chinensis ) are formed mixed stands. At lower altitudes are mainly birch (Betula ) to mix ingredients education.
Use
The soft and light wood of Abies chensiensis subsp. chinensis is finely textured. It is primarily used as construction wood use.
System
The Shensi Fir is allocated within the genus of fir (Abies ) of Section Momi and the subsection Holophyllae. Synonyms for Abies chensiensis Tieghem are Abies firma Masters and Abies shensiensis Pritzel in Diels.
Subspecies
The species Abies chensiensis is divided into three subspecies of Farjon. This division remains controversial and is not shared by all authors.
- Abies chensiensis Van Tieghem subsp. chinensis is the specific type.
- Abies chensiensis subsp. salouenensis ( Bord. -Rey et Gaussen ) Rushforth occurs in Northwest Yunnan, south-east of the Tibet Autonomous Region as well as in northeastern Arunachal Pradesh. It grows in the mountains at altitudes 2600-3200 meters in mixed forests with Quercus and Pinus. The needles of this subspecies are up to 7.5 inches long. The mature cones are brown - yellow ode brown brown -yellow and 10 to 14 × 5 cm in size. Synonyms are Abies salouenensis Bord. -Rey et Gaussen, Abies ernestii var salouenensis ( Bord. -Rey et Gaussen ) Cheng et Fu and Abies recurvata var salouenensis ( Bord. -Rey et Gaussen ) CT. Kuan. In the Flora of China, it is still described var salouenensis ( Bordères & Gaussen ) WCCheng & LKFu as Abies ernestii.
- Abies chensiensis subsp. yulongxueshanensis Rushforth occurs in Lijiang and Yulong Shan Xueshan in northern Yunnan. The cones of this subspecies are 10 to 14 inches long.
Threats and conservation
In the IUCN Red List are both Abies chensiensis subsp. chensiensis as well as the Abies chensiensis subsp. yulongxueshanensis out. Both subspecies are classified as "endangered". Subsp When Abies chensiensis. yulongxueshanensis is stated that an update of the risk status is needed. The main risk is why the exploitation of forests is called the natural range, which can not be compensated by the natural offspring.