| Abies lasiocarpa | |
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| Specimen inNorth Cascades National Park | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Pinaceae |
| Genus: | Abies |
| Species: | A. lasiocarpa |
| Binomial name | |
| Abies lasiocarpa | |
| [3] | |
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| Natural range | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
List
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Abies lasiocarpa, thesubalpine fir orRocky Mountain fir, is a westernNorth Americanfir tree.
Abies lasiocarpa is a medium-sizedevergreenconifer with a very narrow conic crown, growing to 20 metres (66 ft) tall, exceptionally 40–50 m (130–160 ft), with atrunk up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) thick, exceptionally 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in).[4] Thebark on young trees is smooth, gray, and withresin blisters, becoming rough and fissured or scaly on old trees.[4] The lowest branches can be observed growing 1 m (3 ft 3 in) above ground level.[4] Theleaves are flat and needle-like, 1.5–3 centimetres (5⁄8–1+1⁄8 in) long, glaucous green above with a broad stripe ofstomata, and two blue-white stomatal bands below; the freshleaf scars are reddish (tan on the inland variety).[4] They are arranged spirally on the shoot, but with the leaf bases twisted to be arranged to the sides of and above the shoot, with few or none below the shoot. Thecones are erect,6–12 cm (2+1⁄4–4+3⁄4 in) long, dark purple[4] with fine yellow-brown pubescence, ripening brown and disintegrating to release the wingedseeds in early fall.
There are two or threetaxa in subalpine fir, treated very differently by different authors:
The species is native to the mountains ofYukon,British Columbia and westernAlberta inWestern Canada; and toSoutheast Alaska,Washington,Oregon,Idaho,Western Montana,Wyoming,Utah,Colorado,New Mexico,Arizona, northeasternNevada, and theTrinity Alps of theKlamath Mountains in northwesternCalifornia in theWestern United States.[4]
It occurs at high altitudes, commonly found at and immediately below thetree line. It can be found at elevations of 300–900 m (980–2,950 ft) in the north of the range (rarely down to sea level in the far north), to 2,400–3,650 m (7,870–11,980 ft) in the south of the range. West of theCascade ridge, it can be found at elevations of 1,200–2,000 m (3,900–6,600 ft), while further east (particularly in Western Montana) it can be found from 1,500 to 2,700 m (4,900 to 8,900 ft).[4]
Annual precipitation ranges from 380 cm (150 in) in coastal mountain sites to only 65 cm (26 in) inland.[4] Snow gathered on the branches helps protect them from wind and heat.[4] Firs in general act as asnow fence, leading to the creation of meadows through extra moisture accumulation.[4]
The tree is highlyshade tolerant, but very vulnerable to fire, short-lived, and slow-growing.[4] Despite having weaker wood than some of its timberline associates, it can survive by its ability to adapt (growing in akrummholz form) and reproduce vialayering in clusters at high elevations.[4] At timberline, a single tree can leave behind a ring of trees (an 'atoll') via layering.[4] The species has benefited fromwildfire suppression in more recent years.[4]
Various animals, including mountain goats, take shelter in subalpine fir clusters andkrummholz.[4] The bark is browsed by game animals and its leaves are eaten by grouse. Songbirds, Richardson's grouse, Cascade pine squirrels, and other mammals consume the seeds.[5][6] It is host topathogenic fungi such as the speciesDelphinella balsameae.[7]
Native Americans used the leaves as deodorant and burned them as incense or medicinal vapor.[4] Powdered bark and other components were used in solutions to treat colds.[4] Resin was used to dress wounds or chewed as gum.[4] The tree boughs were used for bedding.[4] SomePlateau Indian tribes drank or washed in a subalpine firboil for purification or to make their hair grow.[8]
The light wood is considered poor quality, but sometimes used for wood pulp,[4] general structural purposes and paper manufacture. It is also a popularChristmas tree. It is a popularornamental tree for parks and large gardens, grown for its strongly glaucous-blue foliage. It can also function as abonsai.[4] ThecultivarAbies lasiocarpa var.arizonica 'Compacta' is suitable for smaller gardens, growing as a shrub to 4 m (13 ft) tall by 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) broad. In the UK It has gained theRoyal Horticultural Society'sAward of Garden Merit.[9][10]
The largest-known specimen, measuring 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) thick and 39 m (129 ft) tall, had a small door in its trunk and a storage space, which the film crew of theDisney-produced documentaryThe Olympic Elk (1952) used to store equipment.[4]
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