White
Fir at Reed College
USGS
Distribution
Map
Hybrid firs in yellow,
white fir in green, based on
information
from
Conifer
Country
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White fir grows
throughout the Sierras of California.
The white fir that grows in Oregon is a hybrid of white fir and grand fir, Abies
concolor x grandis.*
These Oregon hybrids grow in the southern Cascades and Siskiyous. The
hybrids take on varying
characteristics of each species, which makes identification a challenge.
Needles:
The
needles
are longer than most firs, about 2 inches long, curving up
in a U or V shape. They are blue-gray, with white lines on both
surfaces.
Cones:
The cones
sit
upright like other firs. They are brown with no whiskery bracts
protruding beyond the scales. Like other firs, the cones fall
apart at
maturity,
leaving a cone core spike on the branch.
Bark:
The
smooth, gray
bark breaks into deep furrows on large trees, often showing brown or
yellowish inner bark like Douglas fir.
Names:
The
scientific
name, concolor means
"uniform color," describing the color of the needles. Other common
names: balsam fir, silver fir, concolor fir.
______________
*Oregon
Flora Project
and The
Gymnosperm Database list these as Abies
concolor x grandis and Abies granddis x concolor respectively. Some call these
hybrids Abies grandicolor.
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Needles and pollen Cones
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