PINACEAE 

 Balsam Fir 



Abies balsamea, (L.) Mill. 



HABIT. A slender tree 40-60 feet high, with a trunk 

 diameter of 12-18 inches; branches in whorls of 4-6, forming a 

 symmetrical, open crown widest at the base and tapering regularly 

 upward. 



LElAVES. .Scattered, spirally arranged in rows, on young 

 trees at right angles to the branch, on old trees covering the upper 

 side of the branch ; narrowly linear, with apex acute or rounded ; 

 y^-i^A inch long; lustrous, dark green above, pale beneath; sessile; 

 aromatic. Persistent 8-10 years. 



FLOWERS. May; monoecious; the staminate oblong- 

 cylindrical, yellow, >4 inch long, composed of yellow anthers 

 (subtended by scales) spirally arranged upon a central axis; the 

 pistillate oblong-cylindrical, I inch long, composed of orbicular, 

 purple scales (subtended by yellow-green bracts) spirally arranged 

 upon a central axis. 



FRUIT. Autumn of first season; oblong-cylindrical, erect, 

 puberulous, dark purple cones, 2-4 inches long, about I inch thick ; 

 seeds *4 inch long, shorter than their light brown wings. 



WINTER-BUDS. Globose, orange-green, resinous, H-J4 

 inch in diameter. 



'BARK. Twigs at first grayish and pubescent, becoming 

 gray-brown and smooth; thin and smooth on young trunks, pale 

 gray-brown and marked by swollen resin chambers ; red-brown on 

 old trunks and somewhat roughened by small, scaly plates. 



WOOD. Very light, soft, weak, coarse-grained, perishable, 

 pale brown, with thick, lighter colored sapwood. 



DISTRIBUTION. Occasional in the southern half of the 

 Lower Peninsula; frequent in the northern half; abundant in the 

 Upper Peninusla. 



HABITAT. Prefers cool, moist, rich soil; low, swampy 

 ground ; well-drained hillsides. 



NOTES. -Grows rapidly. Short-lived. Easily transplanted. 

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