出典(authority):フリー百科事典『ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』「2014/01/28 17:54:12」(JST)
Firs Temporal range: 49–0Ma PreЄ
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Korean Fir (Abies koreana) cone and foliage | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Division: | Pinophyta |
Class: | Pinopsida |
Order: | Pinales |
Family: | Pinaceae |
Genus: | Abies Mill. |
Species | |
See text |
Fir (Abies) is a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen coniferous tree in the family Pinaceae. It is found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range. Firs are most closely related to the genus Cedrus (cedar); Douglas firs are not true firs, being of the genus Pseudotsuga.
All native species reach heights of 10–80 m (30–260 ft) tall and trunk diameters of 0.5–4 m (2–12 ft) when mature. Firs can be distinguished from other members of the pine family by unique way of attachment of their needle-like leaves and by their different cones.
Identification of the species is based on the size and arrangement of the leaves, the size and shape of the cones, and whether the bract scales of the cones are long and exserted, or short and hidden inside the cone.
Firs can be distinguished from other members of the pine family by the unique attachment of their needle-like leaves to the twig by a base that resembles a small suction cup.
The leaves are significantly flattened, sometimes even look like pressed (A. sibirica).
They have 2 whitish strips on the bottom, each of which is formed by wax-covered stomatal bands. The upper surface of leaves usually is uniformly green, shining, without stomata or only with few at their tips, visible as whitish spots. Some of species however have upper surface of leaves dull, gray-green, bluish-gray to silvery, coated by wax with variable number of stomatal bands, not always continuous. An example species from first group is A. alba, second one A. concolor.
Tips of leaves are usually less or more notched (A. firma), sometimes rounded or dull (A. concolor, A. magnifica) or sharp and prickly (A. bracteata, A. cephalonica, A. holophylla). More sharp are leaves of young plants.
The way they spread from the shoot is very diverse, only in some of species comb-shaped, with the leaves arranged on two sides, flat (A. alba) [2]
Firs differ from other conifers in having erect, cylindrical cones 5–25 cm (2–10 in) long that disintegrate at maturity to release the winged seeds.
In contrast to spruce, even large fir cones do not hang, but are raised like candles.
Mature cones are usually brown, young in summer can be green, for example:
or purple and blue, sometimes very dark:
The wood of most firs is considered unsuitable for general timber use, and is often used as pulp or for the manufacture of plywood and rough timber. Because this genus has no insect or decay resistance qualities after logging, it is generally recommended for construction purposes as indoor use only (e.g. indoor drywall framing). This wood left outside cannot be expected to last more than 12 to 18 months, depending on the type of climate it is exposed to. It is commonly referred to by several different names, including North American timber, SPF (spruce, pine, fir) and whitewood.
Nordmann Fir, Noble Fir, Fraser Fir and Balsam Fir are popular Christmas trees, generally considered to be the best for this purpose, with aromatic foliage that does not shed many needles on drying out. Many are also decorative garden trees, notably Korean Fir and Fraser Fir, which produce brightly coloured cones even when very young, still only 1–2 m (3–6 ft) tall. Other firs can grow anywhere between 30 and 236 feet tall. Fir Tree Appreciation Day is June 18.
Firs are used as food plants by the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera species, including Chionodes abella (recorded on White Fir), Autumnal Moth, Conifer Swift (a pest of Balsam Fir), The Engrailed, Grey Pug, Mottled Umber, Pine Beauty and the tortrix moths Cydia illutana (whose caterpillars are recorded to feed on European Silver Fir cone scales) and C. duplicana (on European Silver Fir bark around injuries or canker).
Abies spectabilis or Talispatra is used in Ayurveda as an antitussive drug.[citation needed]
Philips, Roger. Trees of North America and Europe, Random House, Inc., New York ISBN 0-394-50259-0, 1979.
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