Thought to be the first cultivated specimen in the U.S., propagated from a cultivated specimen in Hungary [Facebook post by Tom Cox, 2020.10.17]
Foliage on the specimen shown above [Facebook post by Tom Cox, 2020.10.17]
Thought to be the first cultivated specimen in the U.S., propagated from a cultivated specimen in Hungary [Facebook post by Tom Cox, 2020.10.17]
Foliage on the specimen shown above [Facebook post by Tom Cox, 2020.10.17]
Abies fanjingshanensis
Fanjingshan fir, 梵净山冷杉 fanjingshan lengshan [Chinese].
It is closely related to A. fargesii (Farjon 1990), although the populations are separated by 500 km at their closest approach (Conifer Specialist Group 1998).
Syn.: Abies fargesii Franchet var. fanjingshanensis (W. L. Huang et al.) Silba 1990.
Trees up to 20 m tall and 65 cm dbh. Bark dark gray. Branchlets red-brown, darkening in 2nd or 3rd year. Leaves radially spreading or ascending on upper side of branchlets, pectinately arranged in 2 lateral sets on lower side, linear, unequal, apex obtuse, 1-4.3 cm × 2-3 mm, stomata in 2 bands on lower side of leaves; resin canals 2, marginal on vegetative branchlets, median on cone-bearing branchlets. Seed cones shortly pedunculate, purple-brown, ripening dark brown, cylindric, 5-6 × ca. 4 cm. Seed scales reniform, ca. 1.5 × 1.8-2.2 cm, exposed part densely pubescent. Bracts spathulate, ca. 4/5 as long as seed scales, distal margin rounded or emarginate, apex with an acute, small cusp. Seeds slightly appressed, narrowly ovoid, ca. 8 mm; wing broadly cuneate, ca. 7 mm (Wu and Raven 1999). See also Farjon (1990).
China: NE Guizhou, Jiangkou Xian, on the northern slopes of Fanjing Shan (Wuling Shan). This location is at least 500 km to the south of the nearest occurrence of Abies fargesii in the northwestern part of Hubei. It is found at 2100-2350 m elevation as a minor component of mixed conifer-hardwood forest with Tsuga chinensis, Acer flabellatum, Rhododendron hypoglaucum, Enkiartos chinensis, Prunus serrulata and other species (Farjon 1990, Conifer Specialist Group 1998, Wu and Raven 1999).
In 1998, the entire population was estimated to number less than 250 trees, but due to the remote location no immediate threats were perceived (Conifer Specialist Group 1998). In 2013, the assessment was revised to that of a population in decline, primarily due to impacts of acid rain (Yang et al. 2013).
No data as of 2023.02.22.
So far, it seems only to have drawn the interests of botanists and conservationists.
No data as of 2023.02.22.
The epithet refers to the species' occurrence on Fanjing Shan in Guizhou.
Conifer Specialist Group. 1998. Abies fanjingshanensis. In: 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. https://www.iucnredlist.org/details/32463, accessed 2009.05.03, now defunct.
Farjon, Aljos. 1990. Pinaceae: drawings and descriptions of the genera Abies, Cedrus, Pseudolarix, Keteleeria, Nothotsuga, Tsuga, Cathaya, Pseudotsuga, Larix and Picea. Königstein: Koeltz Scientific Books.
Yang, Y., Zhang, D., Li, N., Luscombe, D., and K. Rushforth. 2013. Abies fanjingshanensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T32463A2819476. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T32463A2819476.en.
The species account at Threatened Conifers of the World.
Farjon (1990) provides illustrations.
Last Modified 2023-11-25
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