Abies recurvata
Abies recurvata
The Min fir (Abies recurvata Mast., 1906) is an arboreal species belonging to the Pinaceae family.
Systematics –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota Domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Pinophyta Division,
Pinopsida class,
Order Pinales,
Pinaceae family,
Genus Abies,
A. recurvata species.
Two varieties are recognized within this species:
– Abies recurvata var. ernestii (Rehd.) C.T.Kuan;
– Abies recurvata var. recurvata.
Etymology –
The term Abies comes from Abies which is the classical Latin name (Virgil, Egloghe, from the Sanskrit root abh gush of resin); according to another interpretation it would derive from the Greek word ἄβιος = long-lived.
The specific recurvata epithet refers to curved needles.
Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Abies recurvata is a conifer endemic to China and, precisely, in the driest and colder northern regions of central China, in the provinces of Sichuan and Gansu.
Its habitat is that of areas at altitudes between 2300 and 3600 m, usually on windy cliffs or in deep river valleys. Sometimes, however, it also appears in dry low-lying scrub on exposed mountain slopes. The most typical associated conifer species include Juniperus convallium, Juniperus formosana var. mairei, Juniperus squamata var. fargesii, Juniperus tibetica, Picea asperata and Picea wilsonii.
Description –
Abies recurvata is a tree that grows up to 60 meters in height.
The trunk can reach 2.5 m in diameter, with a pyramidal bearing. The branches branch out horizontally from the single straight trunk. The shoots are yellow or yellowish-gray, firm and bright in the middle of the foliage.
The bark is smooth and gray when young and then, over time, peels off, becoming rough and plated, dark gray or red-brown in color.
The leaves are needle-like, glossy green above, silver below, up to 12-16 mm long, rigid and pointed; they have stomata arranged in two bands on the lower face and on 2-8 lines on the upper face.
Male strobili are 10–15 mm long, yellow with reddish microsporophylls.
The female cones, initially purple, brown-purple when ripe, are ovoid, 4-8 cm long and up to 4 cm broad, often arranged in groups; the scales are reniform, thin, rounded and slightly curved near the apex, 12-14 mm long and 12-25 mm wide. The seeds are cuneate, about 8 mm long, with dark brown or black wing part, 3–5 mm long.
Cultivation –
Abies recurvata is a conifer that grows in the mountain forests of the provinces of Sichuan and Gansu, where it can form abundant populations, especially in river valleys and on the slopes; it usually grows on mountain podzol at altitudes between 2,300 and 3,600 meters.
The climate is cold, humid, with annual rainfall between 700 and 1,000 mm.
This species prefers good moist but not waterlogged soil and grows well in heavy clay soils with a pH of around 5.
Extremely shade tolerant, especially when young, although it grows more slowly in dense shade.
It is intolerant to air pollution and prefers to grow on north-facing slopes.
Plants are prone to damage from late frosts.
It is a moderately growing plant; height gains of 45 cm per year have been recorded for 50 years.
Propagation is by seed. Sowing should be done in late winter in a greenhouse or outdoors in early spring; germination is often poor, usually taking about 6 – 8 weeks. Stratification produces more uniform germination.
The seed remains viable for up to 5 years if well preserved.
The young seedlings are then transplanted into individual pots, grown for the first winter in a protected area and transplanted at the end of spring of the following year and in any case when they are quite small, between 30 and 90 cm in height.
Customs and Traditions –
In the first published description of Abies recurvata, Masters (1906) quotes the notes by E.H. Wilson, who discovered this species.
This conifer was once used extensively for its timber.
Subsequently, China has enacted legislative protection measures.
The hard and fine-grained wood is easily workable and is mainly used for construction, furniture and cellulose.
Instead, its use as an ornamental plant is very limited and, in any case, restricted to the major botanical gardens.
From an ecological point of view, this species, due to the excessive exploitation of the past, has seen its population reduce by between 30 and 50%; for this reason it is classified as Vulnerable Species in the IUCN Red List. It is currently under legislative protection from the Chinese government, which has banned its exploitation.
Preparation Method –
Abies recurvata is a conifer that is mainly used for its wood; however, recent legislative measures by China have prohibited its exploitation.
Guido Bissanti
Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora of Italy, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.
Photo source:
– https://treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/abies/abies-recurvata/
– https://bisque.cyverse.org/image_service/image/00-WHCzE8LX3rVxPUZhHLryje?resize=4000&format=jpeg
Warning: Pharmaceutical applications and alimurgical uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; therefore no responsibility is taken for their use for curative, aesthetic or food purposes.