Abies vejarii

Scientific name: Abies vejarii Martínez  1942

Common names: Vejar fir, Monterrey fir, Hayarin (Spanish)

Description

Tree to 40 m tall, with trunk to 0.5(-1) m in diameter. Bark gray, becoming browner and breaking up into scales and then ridges and furrows with age. Branchlets hairless or slightly hairy in the shallow grooves between the leaf bases. Buds 3-5 mm long, thickly coated with resin. Needles arranged to the sides of and angled forward above the twigs, or radiating all around on branches bearing seed cones (1-)1.5-2.5(-3) cm long, dark green to waxy grayish green above, the tip bluntly to sharply pointed. Pollen cones 5-10 mm long, red. Seed cones oblong to almost spherical, 6-10(-15) cm long, 4-5(-7) cm across, dark purple when young, maturing blackish brown. Seed body 8-12 mm long, the wing a little shorter to a little longer.

Sierra Madre Oriental of northeastern Mexico from southwestern Coahuila to southwestern Tamaulipas. Mixed with pines (Pinus), oaks (Quercus), and other conifers and hardwoods on mountain slopes and in high canyons; 2,000-3,000(3,300) m.

Conservation Status

Red List Category & Criteria: Vulnerable

(Although this variety is known from a number of localities, there are only four locations. Stands are susceptible to fires that could have a major impact and push the variety to a Critically Endangered listing in a short time)

References

Farjon, A. (2010). A Handbook of the World's Conifers. Koninklijke Brill, Leiden.

Eckenwalder, J.E. (2009) Conifers of the World: The Complete Reference. Timber Press, Portland.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Cambridge, UK /Gland, Switzerland

Copyright © Aljos Farjon, James E. Eckenwalder, IUCN, Conifers Garden. All rights reserved.

Rootstock: Abies cephalonica