Picea asperata

Dragon spruce is a member of the pine or Pinaceae family and is native to western China. It grows up to 40 m tall.

There are 4 recognized specific varieties, based on geography and differences in branchlets and seed cones:

• Picea asperata var. asperata — the typical variety, fully described here, growing throughout most of the range of the species.
• Picea asperata var. aurantiaca — Orange spruce, found locally in western Sichuan province.
• Picea asperata var. heterolepis — Notch-scale dragon spruce, found locally in western Sichuan province.
• Picea asperata var ponderosa — Big-cone dragon spruce, also found locally in western Sichuan province.

• Leaves are needle-like, pointed, rhombic (4 sides all equal length), 1.0–2.5 cm long, spirally arranged on the branchlets, parted and spreading laterally on lower side; needles are on short pegs (sterigmata, or pulvini).
• Seed cones are pendulous, non-fragmenting, cylindric-conic, 6-15 cm long and 2-3 cm across, pale brown, with stiff, smoothly rounded to bluntly pointed scales.
• Bark is grayish brown in color, furrowed into irregular, rough, scaly plates.