Picea smithiana

Himalayan Spruce ( Picea smithiana )

The Himalayan Spruce ( Picea smithiana ) and Morinda Spruce is a species of the genus of spruce (Picea ) in the pine family ( Pinaceae ).

Description

The Himalayan spruce is an evergreen tree, the plant height reaches up to 60 meters. The diameter at breast height can be up to 2 meters. The dull brown bark breaks into large round plates. The crown is a slender shaft with horizontal branches of which are bent upwards at the ends. The crown is often forked. The branches bear long droopy, dull brown or dull gray branches

The winter buds are shiny purple-brown, conical or ovoid and about 8 mm long. The needle leaves inches long and 1.3 to 1.8 millimeters wide at the hanging branches between 2.5 and 5.5. They are thin, bent forward and not pungent. The color is glossy dark green, pointed the tip sharp, they have a round cross section. On each side there are 2-5 longitudinal grooves.

The Himalayan spruce is monoecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( monoecious ). The male flowers are ovate and about 4 cm long. You sprinkle in June. The cones are initially green and then change color to brown. They are 7-18 cm long and 3-5 inches thick. They are significantly droopy and cylindrical, tapering towards both ends. The numerous scales are breitlich, obovate and about 3 inches long and 2.4 inches wide. They are very dense and have a smooth, curved tips. The seed by measure about 5 millimeters. They are winged dark brown and 1 to 1.5 inches long.

Dissemination

The Himalayan spruce grows on LITHOSOL, a weakly developed soil from hard rock ( Gesteinsrohböden, debris or skeletal soils), at altitudes 2300-3600 meters.

It is native to Afghanistan, northern India, Nepal, Kashmir, Pakistan, and Tibet Autonomous Region. In England it is planted occasionally in larger gardens, in Central Europe, it is, however, except perhaps the warmest layers, are not sufficiently hardy.