| Abies cilicica | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Cilica fir in northLebanon | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Pinaceae |
| Genus: | Abies |
| Species: | A. cilicica |
| Binomial name | |
| Abies cilicica (Antoine & Kotschy) Carrière | |
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| Distribution | |
Abies cilicica, also known asCilician fir[2] orTaurus fir, is a species ofconifer in the familyPinaceae. It is found inLebanon,Syria, andTurkey.[3]Abies cilicica andCedrus libani, together withAcer hyrcanum subsp.tauricolum andSorbus torminalis subsp.orientalis, are the predominant trees in thephytocoenosis Abeti-Cedrion, a type of forest of the middle and easternTaurus Mountains ofTurkey. These forests occur between 800 and 2,100 meters elevation. Over 5,000 years of logging, burning, and grazing have reduced these forests to enclaves.[4]
In 2009 atBerenice Troglodytica, the Egypto-Roman port on theRed Sea, archaeologists found: "two blocks of resin from the Syrian fir tree (Abies cilicica), one weighing about 190 g and the other about 339 g, recovered from 1st-century AD contexts in one of the harbour trenches. Produced in areas of greater Syria and Asia Minor, this resin and its oil derivative were used in mummification, as an antiseptic, adiuretic, to treat wrinkles, extract worms and promote hair growth."[5]
The Cilician fir is a significant source of timber in Turkey, where it is relatively common; it is primarily used forplywood for construction.[6]: 72 It is not commonlycultivated, however, because of its susceptibility to late frost in early spring.[6]: 72
