Abies pinsapo

Abies pinsapo, Spanish fir, is a species of tree in the family Pinaceae,^[2][3] native to southern Spain and northern Morocco.^[4] Related to other species of Mediterranean firs, it appears at altitudes of 900–1,800 metres (3,000–5,900 ft) in the Sierra de Grazalema in the Province of Cádiz and the Sierra de las Nieves and Sierra Bermeja, both near Ronda in the province of Málaga.^[5] In Morocco, it is limited to the Rif Mountains at altitudes of 1,400–2,100 metres (4,600–6,900 ft) on Jebel Tissouka and Jebel Tazaot. The scientific name pinsapo is from the Spanish vernacular name for the species.

Abies pinsapo
Spanish fir in the Sierra de las Nieves, Spain
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnospermae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Pinaceae
Genus:	Abies
Species:	A. pinsapo
Binomial name
Abies pinsapo Boiss.
Natural range
Synonyms[2]
Picea pinsapo (Boiss.) Loudon

Description

Abies pinsapo is an evergreen conifer growing to 20–30 m tall, with a conic crown, often becoming irregular with age. The leaves are 1.5–2 cm long, arranged radially all round the shoots, and are strongly glaucous pale blue-green, with broad bands of whitish wax on both sides. The cones are cylindrical, measuring 9–18  cm long. They are green to pinkish-purple before maturity, and have a smooth surface, with short bract scales that do not protrude. When mature, they disintegrate to release the winged seeds.

There are two subspecies:^[2]

• Abies pinsapo subsp. pinsapo Boiss. – southern Spain.
• Abies pinsapo subsp. marocana (Trab.) Emb. & Maire – northern Morocco.

The Moroccan subspecies, Moroccan fir, differs in the leaves being less strongly glaucous and the cones slightly longer, 11–20 cm long. It is sometimes treated as a separate species, Abies marocana.^[6]

Conservation

Despite the best conservation and reforestation efforts that have greatly increased the abundance of Spanish fir, it still has several threats such as fires, urban projects, erosion, excessive visitors and tourists, etc.

Cultivation

The cultivars A. pinsapo 'Aurea'^[7] (to 8m, with golden new growth) and A. pinsapo 'Glauca'^[8] (to 12m plus, with grey-green leaves) have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Gallery

• 
  Foliage and cones in the Sierra Bermeja
• 
  Foliage, Sierra de Grazalema
• 
  "Pinsapo de las Escaleretas", the largest known specimen, in the Sierra de las Nieves
• 
  Trunk of "Pinsapo de las Escaleretas"
• 
  Pollen cones, in the Sierra de las Nieves
• 
  subsp. marocana, Talassemtane, Morocco
• 
  subsp. marocana cone, with resin