Abies forrestii var. ferreana (Bordères & Gaussen) Farjon & Silba

Some authors place this species within Abies ferreana.

The timber is used for construction and the bark yields tannin.

Trees to 30 m tall; branchlets light yellowish gray, yellowish brown, or grayish brown in 1st year, pubescent. Leaves ascending on upper side of branchlets, pectinately arranged in 2 lateral sets on lower side, linear, flattened, 1.5-2.5 cm × ca. 3 mm, stomatal lines in 2 white bands abaxially, resin canals 2, median, margin slightly revolute, apex obtuse or emarginate. Seed cones erect, purple when young, cylindric. Bracts with denticulate distal margin, apex broadly rounded, caudate centrally, cusp ca. 5 mm.

Trees to 20 m tall; trunk to 1 m d.b.h.; bark gray-brown, or dark gray, fissured into longitudinal scales; branchlets reddish brown or dark brown in 1st year, densely rusty brown pubescent; winter buds globose, resinous. Leaves ascending on upper side of branchlets, pectinately arranged in 2 lateral sets on lower side, dark green and bright adaxially, oblanceolate-linear, flattened, 1-2.3 cm × 2-2.5 mm, stomatal lines in 2 white bands abaxially, resin canals 2, median, apex obtuse or emarginate. Seed cones dark purple or blue-black, oblong or cylindric-ovoid, ca. 7 × 3.5-4 cm. Seed scales flabellate-trapeziform, 1.6-2 × 1.6-2.2 cm, base stalked. Bracts oblong-cuneate-spatulate, apex acuminate or cuspidate, usually exserted and reflexed. Seeds 7-10 mm; wing light violet-brown, cuneate, 7-8 mm.

SE Xizang

SW Sichuan, NW Yunnan

* High mountains, S-facing slopes; circa 3800 m.

* Mountains; 3300-4000 m.

Abies forrestii Coltman-Rogers var. chayuensis (W. C. Cheng & L. K. Fu) Silba.