Abies numidica

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Abies numidica 02 by Line1.jpg


Plant Characteristics
Habit   tree

Height: 120 ft"ft" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 120.
Width: 20 ft"ft" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 20.
Lifespan: perennial
Origin: NE Algeria
Cultivation
Exposure: sun
Water: moist
Features: evergreen, foliage
USDA Zones: 6 to 8
Scientific Names

Pinaceae >

Abies >

numidica >


Abies numidica (Algerian Fir) is a species of fir, found only in Algeria, where it is endemic on Djebel Babor, the second-highest mountain (2,004 m) in the Algerian Tell Atlas.[1][2]

It is a medium-sized to large evergreen tree growing to 20–35 m tall, with a trunk up to 1 m diameter. The leaves are needle-like, moderately flattened, 1.5–2.5 cm long and 2–3 mm wide by 1 mm thick, glossy dark green with a patch of greenish-white stomata near the tip above, and with two greenish-white bands of stomata below. The tip of the leaf is variable, usually pointed, but sometimes slightly notched at the tip, particularly on slow-growing shoots on older trees. The cones are glaucous green with a pink or violet tinge, maturing brown, 10–20 cm long and 4 cm broad, with about 150–200 scales, each scale with a short bract (not visible on the closed cone) and two winged seeds; they disintegrate when mature to release the seeds.[1]

It grows in a high-altitude Mediterranean climate at 1,800–2,004 m (rarely down to 1,220 m) with an annual precipitation of 1,500–2,000 mm, the great majority of which falls as winter snow; the summers are warm and very dry. It is closely related to Abies pinsapo (Spanish Fir), which occurs further west in the Rif mountains of Morocco and in southern Spain.[1]

Algerian Fir is occasionally grown as an ornamental tree in parks and large gardens. It is valued among firs for its drought tolerance.

Cultivation

Propagation

Pests and diseases

Varieties

Gallery

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Farjon, A. (1990). Pinaceae. Drawings and Descriptions of the Genera. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3-87429-298-3.
  2. Conifer Specialist Group 1998. Abies numidica. Downloaded on 10 July 2007.

External links