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Abies (Fir)
Firs (Abies) are a genus of between 45-55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. All are trees, reaching heights of 10-80 m (30-260 ft) tall and trunk diameters of 0.5-4 m (2-12 ft) when mature. Firs can be distinguished from other members of the pine family by their needle-like leaves, attached to the twig by a base that resembles a small suction cup; and by erect, cylindrical cones 5-25 cm (2-10 in) long that disintegrate at maturity to release the winged seeds. Identification of the species is based on the size and arrangement of the leaves, the size and shape of the cones, and whether the bract scales of the cones are long and exserted, or short and hidden inside the cone. They are most closely related to the cedars (Cedrus). Firs are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range.
Firs are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Chionodes abella (recorded on White Fir), Autumnal Moth, Conifer Swift (a pest of Balsam Fir), The Engrailed, Grey Pug, Mottled Umber and Pine Beauty.
Douglas-firs are not true firs, being of the genus Pseudotsuga.
USES
The wood of most firs is considered unsuitable for general timber use, and is often used as pulp or for the manufacture of plywood and rough timber. Nordmann Fir, Noble Fir, Fraser Fir and Balsam Fir are very popular Christmas trees, generally considered to be the best trees for this purpose, with aromatic foliage that does not shed many needles on drying out. Many are also very decorative garden trees, notably Korean Fir and Fraser Fir, which produce brightly coloured cones even when very young, still only 1-2 m (3-6 ft) tall.
Species
Section Abies (central, south and east Europe, Asia Minor)
Abies nebrodensis - Sicilian Fir
Abies nordmanniana - Nordmann Fir or Caucasian Fir
Abies borisii-regis - Bulgarian Fir
Abies cephalonica - Greek Fir
Abies cilicica - Cilician Fir, Taurus Fir
Abies alba - Silver Fir
Section Balsamea (Taiga|boreal Asia and North America, and high mountains further south)
Abies fraseri - Fraser Fir
Abies bifolia - Rocky Mountains Subalpine Fir
Abies sibirica - Siberian Fir
Abies sachalinensis - Sakhalin Fir
Abies lasiocarpa - Coast Range Subalpine Fir
Abies koreana - Korean Fir
Abies veitchii - Veitch's Fir
Abies balsamea - Balsam Fir
Abies nephrolepis - Khinghan Fir
Section Amabilis (Pacific coast mountains, North America and Japan, in high rainfall mountains)
Abies amabilis - Pacific Silver Fir
Abies mariesii - Maries' Fir
Section Grandis (western North America to Mexico and Guatemala, lowlands in north, moderate altitudes in south)
Abies grandis - Grand Fir or Giant Fir
Abies concolor - White Fir
Abies durangensis - Durango Fir
Abies flinckii - Jalisco Fir
Abies guatemalensis - Guatemalan Fir
Section Momi (east & central Asia, Himalaya, generally at low to moderate altitudes)
Abies kawakamii - Taiwan Fir
Abies homolepis - Nikko Fir
Abies recurvata - Min Fir
Abies firma - Momi Fir
Abies beshanzuensis - Baishanzu Fir
Abies holophylla - Manchurian Fir
Abies chensiensis - Shensi Fir
Abies pindrow - Pindrow Fir
Abies ziyuanensis - Ziyuan Fir
Section Bracteata (California coast)
Abies bracteata - Bristlecone Fir
Section Piceaster (southern Spain, northwest Africa)
Abies pinsapo - Spanish Fir
Abies numidica - Algerian Fir
Section Pseudopicea (Sino-Himalayan mountains, at high altitude)
Abies delavayi - Delavay's Fir
Abies squamata - Flaky Fir
Abies fabri - Faber's Fir
Abies densa - Bhutan Fir
Abies spectabilis - East Himalayan Fir
Abies forrestii - Forrest's Fir
Abies fanjingshanensis - Fanjingshan Fir
Abies chengii - Cheng's Fir
Abies fargesii - Farges' Fir
Abies yuanbaoshanensis - Yuanbaoshan Fir
Section Nobilis (western USA, high altitudes)
Abies procera - Noble Fir
Abies magnifica - Red Fir
Section Oiamel (Mexico, high altitudes in mountains)
Abies religiosa - Sacred Fir
Abies vejarii - Vejar's Fir
Abies hickelii - Hickel's Fir
Fir - Abies Koreana:
Image Author: Lestat (Jan Mehlich)
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