Abies nebrodensis

Sicilian fir is in the pine or Pinaceae family and is native to Italy in the Nebrodi and Madonie mountains in northern Sicily at elevations of 1,400 – 1,600 m above sea level. Deforestation has resulted in this species now being very rare. The species is closely related to European silver fir (Abies alba.

• Trees can reach 25 m tall; tree crown is broadly tapering.
• Leaves are needle-like, flattened, 1.5–2.5 cm long, 2 mm broad, glossy dark green above, and with two greenish-white bands of stomata below. The tip of the leaf is blunt with a notched tip, but sometimes with a pointed tip, particularly on shoots high on older trees. They are arranged spirally on the shoot, twisted to be above the shoots. Needles are attached to the twig by a base resembling a small suction cup.
• The species is monoecious. Pollen cones are 15–20 mm long and are purple in color. Seed cones are upright, fragmenting, 10–16 cm long and 4 cm broad, with about 150 scales, each scale with an exserted (protruding) bract and two winged seeds; they disintegrate at maturity of late autumn, releasing 2 winged seed from each cone scale.
• Buds are globose, small (4–5 mm long) sometimes resinous, tan to dark brown; bark on young trees is smooth, gray, and with resin blisters, becoming rough and fissured or scaly on old trees.