Abies guatemalensis

Taxobox
name = Guatemalan Fir
status =VU
status_system = iucn2.3


image_width =225px
image_caption =Abies guatemalensis in the San Miguel Los Altos Reserve, Totonicapán, Guatemala
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Pinophyta
classis = Pinopsida
ordo = Pinales
familia = Pinaceae
genus = "Abies"
species = "A. guatemalensis"
binomial = "Abies guatemalensis"
binomial_authority =Rehder
range_

range_map_width =
range_map_caption =

"Abies guatemalensis" or the Guatemalan Fir is an evergreen tree native to Central America and is the southernmost member of the genus Abies. It ranges from southern Mexico in the north to Honduras and
El Salvador on cerro el pital in the south. Due to logging and loss of habitat, the tree is considered threatened and is protected in CITES Appendix I.

Description

A. guatemalensis is a conical tree growing 20 to 35 meters tall and 60 to 90 cm in girth. The branches grow largely horizontally. The bark is a blackish-brown and is divided into plates. The branchlets are reddish-brown to deep blackish-red and pubescent. The buds are globular-ovoid, resinous, and roughly 5 mm in length. The leaves are somewhat comb-like or nearly pectinate in arrangement. They are unequal and deepgreen above, while glaucous beneath. They measure 1.5 to 5.5 cm long by 1.2 to 2 mm wide. Stomata are usually absent above, but appear in 8 to 10 lines below. They are contain two marginal resin canals and the apex of the leaf is notched and emarginate. The female cones are oblong-cylindric and the apex is pointed to somewhat flattened. They are yellowish-brown in colour with a violet bloom and measure 8 to 11.5 cm long by 4 4.5 cm wide. The scales are oblong, or broader than long. The bracts are hidden, about one half the height of the scale and are cuneate-obovoid in shape. The seeds are a light brown nut to 9 mm in length with a wing to 1.5 cm long" cite journal
last =Silba
first = John
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Encyclopedia coniferae
journal =Phytologia Memoirs
volume =8
issue =
publisher =Moldenke and Moldenke
date =1986
location =Corvallis, Oregon
pages =
url =
doi =
id = ]

Taxonomy

There are two recognised varieties of "A. gutamalensis", namely:
* "A. g." var. "guatamalensis", which is the type variety and is present over the majority of the range. It is present in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and the southern Mexican states of Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Oaxaca and Tamaulipas.cite book
last =Farjon
first =Aljos
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =World Checklist and Bibliography of Conifers
publisher =Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew
date =1998
location =Richmond, U.K.
pages =
url =
doi =
id = ]
* "A. g." var. " jaliscana" is present only in the northern part of the distribution, namely in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit and possibly Sinaloa.

Ecology

"A. guatemalensis" is listed as threatened by the IUCN due to timber exploitation and loss of habitat. It characteristically grows in deep fertile soils, which are desirable for agriculture by local inhabitants. It was reported as being a common tree up until the 1940s. Large populations may still remain in Honduras, but data is currently deficient. Some evidence suggests that the remaining stands in Guatemala are no larger than 3 hectares. Furthermore the cone crops are irregular and germination is typically poor. Among the remaining populations, the forest of Los Altos de San Miguel Totonicapán in Guatemala is said to harbor the largest and best-conserved stands, though these are also threatened by illegal logging.cite web| first=Christopher J. | last=Earle| title="Abies Guatemalensis"|publisher=The Gymnosperm Database| year=2006| url=http://www.conifers.org/pi/ab/guatemalensis.htm| accessdate=2007-05-12] As a result of its status it has become illegal to harvest in some countries where it is native and it is listed in CITES Appendix I, making its international trade illegal. The Central American And Mexico Coniferous Resources Cooperative (CAMCORE) has also begun programmes to protect the tree in the wild.cite web
last =Conifer Specialist Group
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Abies guatemalensis
work = 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
publisher = United States Department of Forestry
date =1998
url =http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/42285/all
format =
doi =
accessdate =2007-05-12]

References

External links

* [http://www.authenticmaya.com/plants__plantas.htm Guatemalan Flora]