Abies holophylla
Seed cones bearing crown of a Manchurian fir in the Botanical Garden Munich- Nymphenburg
The Manchurian Fir ( Abies holophylla ) is a plant of the genus fir (Abies ) in the pine family ( Pinaceae ).
Description
Habit
The Manchurian fir is an evergreen tree, the plant height of 40 m with a trunk diameter ( DBH ) of about 1 meter. It has a broad, pyramidal crown and wide sweeping branches. In stock their ancestral remains free while remaining solitary standing beastet to the bottom. Young branches are colored bald and shiny yellowish to brownish. Only after 2-3 years they turn gray, yellow - gray or brown - gray. It is capable to perform a stammbürtige shoot formation after a storm break.
Bark and wood
The bark is initially smooth and brownish and flat cracked and dark brown with age. The wood is whitish to pale yellow, odorless and relatively soft and easily. There is no difference in color between sapwood and heartwood. The wood density is 0.37 g / cm ³.
Needles
Characteristic are the long, pointed needles. They are about 2-4 cm long, 1.5 to 2 mm wide and colored glossy dark green. The stomata run in rows and are located on the bottom.
Flowers, cones and seeds
The Manchurian fir is monoecious - dioecious ( monoecious ). The male cones are located at the outer tips of the branches, are about 15 mm long and have yellow-green pollen sacs. Stand upright about 35 mm long female cones. They develop to maturity to cylindrical pin 6 to 14 cm with a diameter of 3 to 4 cm. Typical of the Manchurian fir is the strong resins of the cones, which are colored in the maturity of light brown to yellowish- brown. The kidney - or fan-shaped cone scales are hairy outside and have a dark red coloration. The bracts are smaller than the cone scales. The triangular seeds are 8 to 12 mm in size and comprise brownish wings. The thousand kernel weight is approximately 49.3 g The germination rate is 40 %.
Dissemination
The natural range of the Manchurian fir is the Korean peninsula, and the border areas with China and Russia, with its main application in the Changbai Mountains are in the Chinese province of Jilin. It is limited to altitudes of 400 m to 1600 m. Outside their home this fir is represented in only a few collections. In addition, it is grown only in small sizes as a park and garden tree as well as for forestry use.
Habitat
The Manchurian fir inhabited areas with warm, humid summers and a long-lasting dry - cold winter. The precipitation is 600-1340 mm. It grows most commonly on dark brown forest soil and weak podsolierten brown soils. The pH should be between 5.5 and 6.5. There are valleys and gentle slopes preferred. This species is extremely hardy, but has only a slight adaptation to changing environmental conditions.
Plant diseases
The Manchurian fir is hardly susceptible to diseases and insect pests.
Use
Especially in China, the Manchurian fir plays an important economic role as a lumber supplier, as the wood is durable and easy to edit. The consequence is that in China the stocks are severely depleted by overuse. The seeds are suitable for soap production, because they have a relatively high oil content of 30.6 %. Roots, branches, and needles are used for the production of aromatic oil. In folk medicine the bark is used as an anti-rheumatic drugs.