Beautiful pictures.
Richard

Nice! Your "Abies delavayi" isn't; it looks like another A. fabri.

How did you manage to get A. beshanzuensis?

Resin

So fine a collection and documentation. Keep on with the good work all round Sam!

Sam, how do you get the photos to be blurry in the background?

Thanks,

Dax

Macro lens Dax, very short field of focus. Telephoto does the same as does a very wide aperture.

Here's the science...

Here is a link that might be useful: Bokeh

This post was edited by severnside on Thu, Dec 6, 12 at 9:19

Thanks for the nice comments, everyone.

Resin, I thought that the differences between Abies delavayi and fabri were:
1. fabri has more resinous buds than delavayi
2. delavayi has a darker green color
3. fabri has slightly more curved needles
I believe they are very closely related species: What makes you say they are the same?

I got Abies beshanzuensis from Buchholz & Buchholz Nursery as a 10-gallon plant!

Dax and severn, I actually don't have a macro lens. (I wish I did.)
To get the shallow depth of field (blurry background), I put the camera on "Av" or "A"--depending on which camera I'm using. This setting allows you to adjust the aperture up and down with the arrow keys on most cameras. The lower the value (5.6, 6.0, 7.1), the shallower the depth of field (blurred background).

-Sam

Then you have no need of a macro lens Sam, your camera close-focuses very well. The added advantage is you have maximum light at widest aperture so focus will be pin point and less than good lighting not such a problem.

Beautiful Sam! 3 years ago, before I plant anything, I started the same, thinking I'd make an Abies SPECIES collection, of the local Mediteranean firs and every other that could fit my harsh climate without being pathetic. 3 years later I only have Abies cephalonica, nebrodensis, pinsapo, nordmanniana, (my numidica perished before it got established), pindrow and concolor. I will be getting a numidica and lasiocarpa, one of my favourites and of course if anyone in europe can spare a cilicica I'd be happy to buy it from him. That's hard for me to find...

But still long way to reach your collection's status! :) jealous...

Fotis

"Resin, I thought that the differences between Abies delavayi and fabri were:
1. fabri has more resinous buds than delavayi
2. delavayi has a darker green color
3. fabri has slightly more curved needles
I believe they are very closely related species: What makes you say they are the same? "

The most obvious difference to compare here is that true A. delavayi has much more strongly revolute (curled down) leaf margins; so much so that the needles look quite slender with the white stomatal bands nearly hidden - see this pic at Flickr (for detail, right-click and select 'Original'). The needles on your plant are only slightly revolute, same as on your A. fabri and typical of what that species looks like.

Resin

Resin can you please answer why Abies nordmanniana in some cultivars can have different needle arrangements on the same plant? Needles that are aligned across the branch and corkscrewing slightly for it's entirety giving a 'propeller' radial array, so that around the terminal buds they appear flat-on looking down the branch. And needles that are arranged along the line of the branch with no corkscrewing so that they end at the terminal bud all side-on when looking down the branch. This second array shows the reverses and the branch whilst the first disrupts the view of the branch by the cockscrew (sorry there probably is a term maybe to do with the Fibonacci series) of the needles and the reverses are not displayed from the side. How can both occur as on my 'Broom H' - even three of one emerging from one of another and vice versa? Also I've noticed 'Broom H' cultivars (and others) with mostly one or other of the arrangements. How so? I would be grateful.

Sorry for the sideline Sam, I'm sure you're not petty about such.

This post was edited by severnside on Thu, Dec 6, 12 at 18:07

Ooof! Can you post some pics so I can see better what you mean? (mebbe best in a new thread?)

Resin

No worries, severn. And perhaps the phenomenon to which you are referring is dependent upon whether the branch was a crown shoot or a more lateral shoot. The needle arrangements on all firs vary depending on where the branches are located on the tree..
I'm wondering if perhaps this could be the case with the delavayi. (I would really like for it to be delavayi so I don't have to change the label, and I don't have a duplicate.)

Any input on that, Resin?
Thanks for your further explanation; it is appreciated.

-Sam

Thanks Resin, it'll have to be on my next days off as the camera work will be tricky. I'll put a thread together then.

Sam, this is throughout the plant as though hormones are telling different branches to do different things. Or reversions. But many pictures I've seen show 'Broom H' with both sets in varying degrees, I'll also link to those.

Hi Sam - the needle arrangement varies with branch location, but not as far as I'm aware the needle structure in respect of the revolute margins. So I'm still thinking your plant is a duplicate A. fabri. The difference in how resinous the buds are, I suspect is just individual variation. Sorry!

Resin

Well, that is a disappointment, indeed, Resin...

A few more to share

Abies firma

Abies grandis grows naturally. There is a sizable population on the eastern edge of the Conifer Reserve

Abies nordmanniana

-Sam

Almost finishing up the series here..

Abies recurvata var. ernestii

Abies concolor (incredibly tall)

-Sam

Great documentary Sam!

"Almost finishing up the series here..

Abies recurvata var. ernestii"

'Fraid that one doesn't look right, either. It actually looks rather more like Abies grandis. Maybe a self-sown seedling that took over when an original didn't survive?

Resin

Crush a few needles from your Abies recurvata var. ernestii....if it has no citrus odor you can eliminate Abies grandis.

Johnny

Sorry, Resin. The tree looks absolutely nothing like any of the Abies grandis, and it is in a separate area.
Additionally, the tag was still on the plant, labeling it as Abies recurvata var. ernestii.

Perhaps it was simply a poor picture. It was getting dark, and the pictures began to decrease in quality...

-Sam

Can you get some more pics? Two or 3 years' growth, underside as well as upper side, and also the whole plant?

Resin

Hey, Resin.
Here is a picture of 2-3 years' growth. There are additional pictures on a previous thread at the link.

Abies recurvata var. ernestii
{{gwi:682443}}

-Sam

Here is a link that might be useful: Abies recurvata var. ernestii

Thanks! Yep, that's right. Odd how it looked so different in that previous pic!

Resin

Good to know you agree, Resin.
I do hold your observations in high regard..

This will truly complete the showcase of fir species:

Abies pinsapo 'Glauca' (although a cultivar, grows identically to the species only with glaucous needles)

Abies sachalinensis (Had very small growth this year due to recent transplantation)

Abies forrestii

-Sam

Here is a link that might be useful: Albers Vista Gardens