Abies veitchii

Veitch's species

Veitch's fir is in the pine or Pinaceae family and is native to the islands of Honshu and Shikoku in Japan, growing at higher elevations between 1600 and 1900 m above sea level. It can grow up to 30 m tall.

Its crown is narrowly conical; tree form is horizontal branching.
The leaves are needle-like and flattened, 1–3 cm long and 2 mm broad. They are glossy dark green above with two conspicuous bluish white stomatal bands underneath, giving a whitish underside appearance; the tips are notched. The foliage is dense and points forward along the shoot, with the inner leaves being shorter and more erect than the lower leaves.
Needles are attached to the twig by a base resembling a small suction cup.
The species is monoecious; seed cone is purple-brown, cylindrical, 4–7 cm long, tapering slightly towards the tip. The cones are upright and have slightly protruding yellow-green bracts that are bent backwards; they fragment in the fall, dropping winged seeds and leaving exposed central stems.
The shoots are pubescent, with short brown hairs; bark is smooth and light grey, and has resin blisters characteristic of many firs.

Contributors

Philippe de Spoelberch