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Herbs & Plants

Pindrow-fir(Abies pindrow)

Botanical Name :Abies pindrow
Family: Pinaceae
Genus: Abies
Species: A. pindrow
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Common Names:Granthiparna,Talisa,Pindrow-fir,Silver-fir, Morinda, Badar, Poludar

Habitat :Native to the western Himalaya and adjacent mountains, from northeast Afghanistan east through northern Pakistan and India to central Nepal. It grows at altitudes of 2,400-3,700 m in forests together with Deodar Cedar, Blue Pine and Morinda Spruce, typically occupying cooler, moister north-facing slopes.

Description:
It is a large evergreen tree growing to 40-60 m tall, and with a trunk diameter of up to 2-2.5 m. It has a conical crown with level branches.A rare & beautiful large tree of slender conical habit” (Hillier) with long shining-green needles which luxuriantly droop to the sides of the branches; “A shapely tree with bold foliage” .
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The shoots are greyish-pink to buff-brown, smooth and glabrous (hairless). The leaves are needle-like, among the longest of any fir, 4-9 cm long, flattened in cross-section, glossy dark green above, with two whitish stomatal bands on the underside; they are arranged spirally on the shoots, but twisted at the base to lie in a flat plane either side of the shoot. The cones are broad cylindric-conic, 7-14 cm long and 3-4 cm broad, dark purple when young, disintegrating when mature to release the seeds 5–7 months after pollination.

The closely related Gamble’s Fir (Abies gamblei, syn. A. pindrow var. brevifolia, A. pindrow subsp. gamblei) occurs in the same area but on somewhat drier sites; it differs in shorter leaves 2-4 cm long with less obvious stomatal bands and arranged more radially round the shoot. The cones are very similar.Plant Hardiness: Zone 8 (10 to +20 F)

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil.The plant prefers acid and neutral soils..It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.It requires moist soil

Cultivation :

Prefers a good moist but not water-logged soil. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Plants are very shade tolerant, especially when young, but growth is slower in dense shade. Intolerant of atmospheric pollution. Prefers slightly acid conditions down to a pH of about 5. Prefers growing on a north-facing slope. This species is unsatisfactory in south-eastern Britain due to damage by late frosts, trees rarely live more than 40 years and have a poor thin crown. Trees grow far better in the cooler and wetter far north and west of the country. Another report says that it grows best in the milder areas of the country. Young trees are very slow to establish because they are often damaged by late frosts, it is best to grow the young trees in high shade to get them through this time. Another report says that trees are late coming into growth and so usually escape late frost damage. Trees should be planted into their permanent positions when they are quite small, between 30 and 90cm in height. Larger trees will check badly and hardly put on any growth for several years. This also badly affects root development and wind resistance. Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus.

Propagation
Seed – sow early February in a greenhouse or outdoors in March. Germination is often poor, usually taking about 6 – 8 weeks. Stratification is said to produce a more even germination so it is probably best to sow the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the autumn. The seed remains viable for up to 5 years if it is well stored. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on for at least their first winter in pots. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Alternatively, if you have sufficient seed, it is possible to sow in an outdoor seedbed. One report says that it is best to grow the seedlings on in the shade at a density of about 550 plants per square metre whilst another report says that they are best grown on in a sunny position


Uses:

Wood – light, soft, not very durable. Used for house interiors, cases, furniture, water troughs and fuel.
Pindrow Fir is used to a small extent for timber and production in its native range. It is occasionally grown as an ornamental tree in large gardens in western Europe, but demands high humidity and rainfall to grow well. The name pindrow derives from the tree’s name in Nepalese.


Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abies_pindrow
http://www.forestfarm.com/product.php?id=44
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Abies%20pindrow

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