| Spanish-Fir Glauca | |
|---|---|
| File:Abies pinsapo, joven, en la Sierra de las Nieves.jpg | |
| Spanish fir in the Sierra de las Nieves, Spain | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Pinaceae |
| Genus: | Abies |
| Species: | A. pinsapo
|
| Binomial name | |
| Abies pinsapo | |
| File:Abies pinsapo range.svg | |
| Natural range | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
|
Picea pinsapo (Boiss.) Loudon | |
Spanish fir-tree (Abies pinsapo), is a species of tree in the family Pinaceae,[2][3] native to southern Spain and northern Morocco.[4] Related to other species of Mediterranean firs, it appears at altitudes of 900–1,800 metres (3,000–5,900 ft) in the Sierra de Grazalema in the Province of Cádiz and the Sierra de las Nieves and Sierra Bermeja, both near Ronda in the province of Málaga.[5] In Morocco, it is limited to the Rif Mountains at altitudes of 1,400–2,100 metres (4,600–6,900 ft) on Jebel Tissouka and Jebel Tazaot. The scientific name pinsapo is from the Spanish vernacular name for the species.
Description
Abies pinsapo is an evergreen conifer growing to 20–30 m tall, with a conic crown, often becoming irregular with age. The leaves are 1.5–2 cm long, arranged radially all round the shoots, and are strongly glaucous pale blue-green, with broad bands of whitish wax on both sides. The cones are cylindrical, measuring 9–18 cm long. They are green to pinkish-purple before maturity, and have a smooth surface, with short bract scales that do not protrude. When mature, they disintegrate to release the winged seeds.
There are two subspecies:[2]
- Abies pinsapo subsp. pinsapo Boiss. – southern Spain.
- Abies pinsapo subsp. marocana (Trab.) Emb. & Maire – northern Morocco.
The Moroccan subspecies, Moroccan fir, differs in the leaves being less strongly glaucous and the cones slightly longer, 11–20 cm long. It is sometimes treated as a separate species, Abies marocana.[6]
Conservation
Despite the best conservation and reforestation efforts that have greatly increased the abundance of Spanish fir, it still has several threats such as fires, urban projects, erosion, excessive visitors and tourists, etc.
Cultivation
The cultivars A. pinsapo 'Aurea'[7] (to 8m, with golden new growth) and A. pinsapo 'Glauca'[8] (to 12m plus, with grey-green leaves) have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Gallery
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Foliage and cones in the Sierra Bermeja
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Foliage, Sierra de Grazalema
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"Pinsapo de las Escaleretas", the largest known specimen, in the Sierra de las Nieves
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Trunk of "Pinsapo de las Escaleretas"
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Pollen cones, in the Sierra de las Nieves
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subsp. marocana, Talassemtane, Morocco
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subsp. marocana cone, with resin
References
- ↑ Arista, A.; Alaoui, M.L.; Knees, S.; Gardner, M. (2011). "Abies pinsapo". 2011: e.T42295A10679577. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T42295A10679577.en.
|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Abies pinsapo Boiss". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
- ↑ "Abies pinsapo Boiss". World Flora Online. The World Flora Online Consortium. n.d. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
- ↑ Alizoti, P.G.; Fady, B.; Prada, M.A.; Vendramin, G.G (2009). "Mediterranean firs - Abies spp" (PDF). EUFORGEN Technical Guidelines for Genetic Conservation and Use. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-10-20. Retrieved 2016-10-19. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Abies pinsapo - EUFORGEN European forest genetic resources programme". EUFORGEN European forest genetic resources programme. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
- ↑ "Abies marocana - EUFORGEN European forest genetic resources programme". EUFORGEN European forest genetic resources programme. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
- ↑ "Abies pinsapo 'Aurea'". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
- ↑ "Abies pinsapo 'Glauca'". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
External links
- Tourist information for the Sierra de Grazalema (in Spanish)
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