Abies cephalonica, commonly known as Greek fir
The leaf are needle-like, flattened, long and wide by thick, glossy dark green above, and with two blue-white bands of stomata below. The tip of the leaf is pointed, usually fairly sharply but sometimes with a blunt tip, particularly on slow-growing shoots on older trees. The conifer cone are long and broad, with about 150–200 scales, each scale with an exserted bract and two winged ; they disintegrate when mature to release the seeds.
It is also closely related to Nordmann fir to the east in northern Turkey.
Uses
Greek fir was important in the past for
wood for general construction, but it is too rare to be of significant value now. It is also grown as an ornamental tree in
and large
, though in areas that often get late frosts it is prone to frost damage, as it is one of the first
Pinophyta to open fresh growth in spring.
Etymology
The generic name
Abies, already used by the Latins, could, according to an etymological interpretation, derive from the Greek word ἄβιος ("long-lived"). The specific name
cephalonica derives from the Greek
Cephallenia and refers to the largest of the Ionian islands, which falls within the range of the species.
Description
Carriage
The Cephalonian fir has a conical shape, it rarely exceeds 25 m, even if it can reach 35 m. The branches are arranged in regular whorls and the small branches are shiny brown, close together and glabrous. Among the fir trees it is one of those with the thickest crown.
Leaves
They are 2-3 cm long, needle -like, prickly and bright green on the upper face; they have two silvery white streaks separated by a green vein below. They are arranged radially around the branches.
File:Greek Firs on Mount Erymanthos.jpg|Greek firs on the slopes of Mount Erymanthos.
File:AbiesCephalonicaTwig.jpg|Abies Cephalonica twig on Mount Erymanthos.
File:Abies cephalonica - Euboea.JPG|Abies cephalonica in Euboea.
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