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| Pindrow fir | |
|---|---|
 | |
| InHimachal Pradesh, India | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Pinaceae |
| Genus: | Abies |
| Species: | A. pindrow |
| Binomial name | |
| Abies pindrow | |
Abies pindrow, thepindrow fir,West Himalayan fir,[1] orsilver fir,[2] is afir native to the westernHimalaya and adjacent mountains, from northeastAfghanistan east through northernPakistan andIndia to centralNepal.
It is a largeevergreen tree growing to 40–60 metres (130–200 ft) tall, and with a trunk diameter of up to 2–2.5 metres (6 ft 7 in – 8 ft 2 in). It has a conical crown with level branches.The shoots are greyish-pink to buff-brown, smooth and glabrous (hairless). Theleaves are needle-like, among the longest of any fir, 4–9 centimetres (1.6–3.5 in) long, flattened in cross-section, glossy dark green above, with two whitishstomatal bands on the underside; they are arranged spirally on the shoots, but twisted at the base to lie in a flat plane either side of the shoot. Thecones are broad cylindric-conic, 7–14 centimetres (2.8–5.5 in) long and 3–4 centimetres (1.2–1.6 in) broad, dark purple when young, disintegrating when mature to release theseeds 5–7 months after pollination.
The closely relatedGamble's fir occurs in the same area but on somewhat drier sites; it differs in shorter leaves 2–4 cm long with less obvious stomatal bands and arranged more radially round the shoot. The cones are very similar.
Recent research, however, has shown thatAbies gamblei is not related toAbies pindrow. At WestHimalayan locations inHimachal state inIndia visited by members of the Dendrological Atlas team, at around 3000 m the latter species is replaced byAbies gamblei, showing no intermediate forms. Such areas includedChurdhar and the upperSangla Valley at elevations between 3000 and 3400 m where these species have morphologically and ecologically clearly separated. Elevation-wise, pindrow fir occurs between 2,000–3,350 metres (6,560–10,990 ft) (although mostly between 2400 and 3000 m) andAbies gamblei from 3,000–3,500 metres (9,800–11,500 ft). Some references of 3,700 metres (12,100 ft) naming (in error) "Abies spectabilis" in the western Himalayas, most probably are true forAbies gamblei, but to confirm this would require further research.[3]
Abies pindrow grows at altitudes of 2,400–3,700 metres (7,900–12,100 ft) in forests together withCedrus deodara,Picea smithiana andPinus wallichiana typically occupying cooler, moister north-facing slopes.
The pindrow fir is used to a small extent fortimber in its native range. It is occasionally grown as an ornamental tree in largegardens in westernEurope, but demands high humidity and rainfall to grow well. The namepindrow derives from the tree's name inNepali.
