Abies concolor var. lowiana

Scientific name: Abies concolor var. lowiana  (Gordon) Lemmon  1895

Synonyms: Abies concolor subsp. lowiana (Gordon) A.E.Murray, Abies grandis var. lowiana (Gordon) Hoopes, Abies lowiana (Gordon) A.Murray bis, Picea lowiana Gordon, Picea lowiana Gordon, Picea lowii Gordon, Pinus lowiana (Gordon) W.R.McNab

Common names: Sierra white fir, California white fir, Low's white fir

Description

The crown of Abies lowiana is slimmer, the trunk more cracked and strongly resinous. The needles are bent upwards on both sides, leaving a free U-shaped opening in the middle, in contrast to the curved bend of Abies concolor. The most prominent are the shade shoots: in case of Abies concolor var. lowiana they are flattened and spread out in a neat comb-like manner, while in case of Abies concolor they are upturned and spread out in a disorderly manner.

Trees to 40-60 m tall, d.b.h. to 2-2.5 m, trunk monopodial, straight, columnar, terete. Crown narrowly conical, with flat domed top in old trees. Bark of young trees smooth, grey to whitish with conspicuous resin blisters, in old trees dark grey, tinged with yellowish brown, scaly, deeply fissured below. Branches of first order relatively short, in regular, horizontal whorls in young trees, the lower ones later drooping, curved, branches of second order spreading. Branchlets slender, yellowish green, soon becoming grey brown, smooth or with shallow grooves, glabrous or with minute pubescence on first year shoots.  Needles mostly 4(-7) cm or less long, without wax and with about seven rows of stomates above, the tip slightly notched. Seed cones lateral, erect, sessile or very short pedunculate, cylindrical or elliptical, with obtuse or retuse apex, 7-12(-15) cm long, 3-4.5 cm wide, colour variable when immature, usually light (yellowish) green, sometimes purple violet, maturing to (light) brown; cone rachis persistent, narrowly conical, blackish brown. Seed scales flabellate, sometimes much wider than long, length × width at mid-cone 2.5-3 × 3-3.5 cm, surface smooth, puberulent, especially on exposed parts; upper margin entire. Base pedicellate, often curved, bracts ovoid-oblong, with two lateral wings and short cusp, 1-1.5 cm long, included. Seeds cuneate, 8-10 mm long, dull light brown, seed wings oblong-cuneate, 15-20 mm long, light, lustrous brown.

Western part of the range of the species, from Oregon to Baja California; 600-3,000 m.

Conservation Status

Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern

Cultivars: -

References

• Farjon, A. (2010). A Handbook of the World's Conifers. Koninklijke Brill, Leiden.
• Eckenwalder, J.E. (2009) Conifers of the World: The Complete Reference. Timber Press, Portland.
• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Cambridge, UK /Gland, Switzerland

Copyright © Aljos Farjon, James E. Eckenwalder, IUCN, Conifers Garden. All rights reserved.