Picea morrisonicola description

line drawing

Line drawing; for full size image go to the Flora of China (Wu and Raven 1999).

From Li (1975).

Picea morrisonicola Hayata 1908

Common Names

Taiwan spruce (Liu 1970).

Taxonomic notes

Syn: P. glehnii sensu Matsum. & Hayata 1906, non Masters (Li 1975).

Description

"A large tree, up to 50 m in height and 1.5 m in diameter ... branches dense, horizontal, the branchlets glabrous. Leaves linear, 10-15 mm long, 2-3 mm broad, acute. Mature cones cylindric-oblong, purplish, about 7 cm long, the scales obovate, 15 mm long, rounded at apex, entire. Seeds 10-12 mm long including the wing" (Li 1975).

"Trunk bark gray to grayish red brown, irregular cracked, scaly, scales sub-rounded, about 0.3 cm. thick; lenticels inconspicuous; outer bark about 0.5 cm. thick, hard, with dull brown and irregularly tiered cross section, tangentially tiered streaks grayish yellow; newly formed periderm gayish yellow; inner bark about 1.0-1.5 cm. thick, fibrous, reddish brown, fibrous; cambium and newly formed phloem almost inconspicuous. Freshly cut sapwood pale yellowish white, wood rays inconspicuous" (Liu 1970).

Range

Taiwan: 2500-3000 m in the central ranges. Dispersed distribution in ravines and on mountain slopes in mixed or pure stands (Li 1975).

Big Tree

Oldest

Dendrochronology

Ethnobotany

Observations

Some herbarium records (HAST Database) include: (a) Ilan Xian: Nanhutashan: on the way from mt.-hiking entrance at 6.7 km on 710 Forest Road to Yunling. Elevation 2350-2800 m. (b) Kaoxiung Xian: Taoyuan Hsiang: between Tienchih and Kuaiku. Elevation 2250 m. (c) Kaoxiung Xian: Taoyuan Hsiang: On the South Cross Island Rd. (Provincial Rd. #20). Near Meishan village. Secondary broadleaf and coniferous mixed forest. Elevation 2000 m. (d) Nantou Xian: enroute from Tungpu Hot Spring to Kuankao. Elevation 1300-2600 m. (e) Nantou Xian: Yushan Nat'l Park: en route from Lulin Lodge to Tatachia Saddle. Elevation 2700-2800 m.

Yushan National Park looks like a good place to see it.