Abies cephalonica

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Greek fir
Abies cephalonica 001.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnospermae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Genus: Abies
Species:
A. cephalonica
Binomial name
Abies cephalonica
Abies cephalonica distribution map.svg
Distribution map

Abies cephalonica or Greek fir [2] is a fir native to the mountains of Greece, primarily in the Peloponnesos and the island of Kefallonia, intergrading with the closely related Bulgarian fir further north in the Pindus mountains of northern Greece. It is a medium-size evergreen coniferous tree growing to 25–35 metres (82–115 ft) – rarely 40 m (130 ft) – tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in). It occurs at altitudes of 900–1,700 m (3,000–5,600 ft), on mountains with a rainfall of over 1,000 millimetres (39 in).

Contents

The leaves are needle-like, flattened, 1.5–3.0 cm (0.6–1.2 in) long and 2 mm (0.08 in) wide by 0.5 mm (0.02 in) thick, glossy dark green above, and with two blue-white bands of stomata below. The tip of the leaf is pointed, usually fairly sharply but sometimes with a blunt tip, particularly on slow-growing shoots on older trees. The cones are 10–20 cm (4–8 in) long and 4 cm (1.6 in) broad, with about 150–200 scales, each scale with an exserted bract and two winged seeds; they disintegrate when mature to release the seeds.

It is also closely related to Nordmann fir to the east in northern Turkey.

Uses

Greek fir was important in the past for wood for general construction, but it is too rare to be of significant value now. It is also grown as an ornamental tree in parks and large gardens, though in areas that often get late frosts it is prone to frost damage, as it is one of the first conifers to open fresh growth in spring.

Etymology

The generic name Abies, already used by the Latins, could, according to an etymological interpretation, derive from the Greek word ἄβιος = long-lived. The specific name cephalonica derives from the Greek Cephallenia and refers to the largest of the Ionian islands, which falls within the range of the species.

Description

Carriage

The Cephalonian fir has a conical shape, it rarely exceeds 25 m, even if it can reach 35 m. The branches are arranged in regular whorls and the small branches are shiny brown, close together and glabrous. Among the fir trees it is one of those with the thickest crown.

Leaves

They are 2-3 cm long, needle -like, prickly and bright green on the upper face; they have two silvery white streaks separated by a green vein below. They are arranged radially around the branches.

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<i>Abies alba</i> Species of conifer tree

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<i>Abies grandis</i> Species of conifer tree

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<i>Abies magnifica</i> Species of tree found in North America

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<i>Abies procera</i> Species of conifer

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<i>Abies mariesii</i> Species of conifer

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<i>Abies homolepis</i> Species of plant

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<i>Abies koreana</i> Species of plant (Korean fir)

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<i>Abies sibirica</i> Species of conifer

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<i>Abies religiosa</i> Species of conifer

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Abies nordmanniana subsp. equi-trojani, synonym Abies bornmuelleriana, the Turkish fir is a rare, coniferous evergreen tree native to northwest Turkey. Another common name is Uludağ fir. It is a subspecies of Abies nordmanniana. It has also been considered to be a natural hybrid between Caucasian fir and Grecian fir.

References

  1. Gardner, M.; Knees, S. (2016) [errata version of 2011 assessment]. "Abies cephalonica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2011: e.T38320A101026687. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  2. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.