Description
Several species from the genus Abies with the exception of the Douglas fir which is of the genus Pseudotsuga. Fir trees are found in North America, Europe and Asia. Their wood is soft, light color, straight grain and has a coarse texture. Fir trees are resistant to insect attack and have been used for ship building and general construction. The Canada balsam fir (A. balsamea) produces an oleoresin used to mount samples on glass slides for microscopic analysis. Burgundy pitch is obtained from the silver fir (A. alba) found in the Alps, Caucasian and Ural mountains. Other common firs are the balsam fir, noble fir, and grand fir.
Synonyms and Related Terms
Abies; sapin (Fr.); abeto (Esp., Port.); abete (It.); White Deal; Norway spruce; Douglas fir; balsam fir; noble fir; silver fir; grand fir
Additional Information
H. A. Alden, A.C. Wiedenhoeft, "Qualified Determination of Provenance of Wood of the Firs (Abies spp. Mill) Using Microscopic Features of Rays: An Aid to Conservators, Curators and Art Historians" AIC Poster, reprinted online at http://www.si.edu/scmre/abies.html
Schoch, W., Heller, I., Schweingruber, F.H., Kienast, F., 2004:
Wood anatomy of central European Species: Silver Fir, Abies alba Mill.
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Last updated on: 7/24/2009 11:47:20 AM
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