Abies beshanzuensis

Abies beshanzuensis
Distribution of Abies beshanzuensis
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnospermae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Pinaceae
Genus:	Abies
Species:	A. beshanzuensis
Binomial name
Abies beshanzuensis M.H.Wu
Synonyms
Abies fabri subsp. beshanzuensis (M.H.Wu) Silba

Abies beshanzuensis (Baishanzu fir, Baishan fir) is a species of

It is a tree growing to 15–17 metres (49–56 ft) tall, with a broad conic crown and a trunk up to 0.8 metres (2 ft 7 in) in diameter. The shoots are stout, pale yellow-brown, hairless or slightly hairy. The leaves are linear, 1.5–4 centimetres (0.59–1.57 in) long and 2.5–3.5 millimetres (0.098–0.138 in) wide, glossy green above, and with two white stomatal bands below. The cones are narrow cylindric-conic, bright green when immature, ripening pale yellow-brown, 6–12 centimetres (2.4–4.7 in) long and 3–4 centimetres (1.2–1.6 in) wide, with exserted and reflexed bracts.^[2][3]

It is closely related to Abies firma from southern Japan, placed with it as the only two members of Abies subsect. Firmae.^[2][3] The species Abies ziyuanensis is included in Abies beshanzuensis as a variety by some botanists,^[6] though others place this species in a different subsection of the genus, Abies subsect. Holophyllae.^[3]

The species is quite rare in plant collections. The largest and likely the only specimen in Canada, approximately 20 feet tall (6.5m) (2023) is located at Whistling Gardens public plant collection located in Wilsonville, Ontario.

References