Douglas-fir 50553 225269681 2008-07-12T20:19:40Z A. Parrot 839494 /* Species and varieties */ {{Taxobox | name = Douglas-fir | image = Pseudotsuga_menziesii_28236.JPG | image_width = 250px | image_caption = ''Pseudotsuga menziesii'' subsp. ''menziesii'' in [[Anacortes Community Forest Lands]], [[Washington]] | regnum = [[Plant]]ae | divisio = [[Pinophyta]] | classis = [[Pinophyta|Pinopsida]] | ordo = [[Pinales]] | familia = [[Pinaceae]] | genus = '''''Pseudotsuga''''' | genus_authority = [[Elie-Abel Carrière|Carrière]] | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = See text }} '''Douglas-fir''' is the common name applied to [[Pinophyta|coniferous]] [[tree]]s of the [[genus]] '''''Pseudotsuga''''' in the family [[Pinaceae]]. There are five species, two in western [[North America]], one in [[Mexico]] and two in eastern [[Asia]]. The Douglas-firs gave 19th century botanists problems due to their similarity to various other conifers better known at the time; they have at times been classified in [[pine|''Pinus'']], [[spruce|''Picea'']], [[fir|''Abies'']], ''[[Tsuga]]'', and even [[Coast Redwood|''Sequoia'']]. Because of the distinctive cones, Douglas-firs were finally placed in the new genus ''Pseudotsuga'' (meaning "false [[Tsuga]]") by the [[France|French]] botanist [[Elie-Abel Carrière|Carrière]] in 1867. The common name honours [[David Douglas]], the [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[botanist]] who first introduced the tree into cultivation in 1826. Douglas is known for introducing many North American native conifers to [[Europe]]. The [[hyphen]] in the common name indicates that Douglas-firs are not true firs; i.e. they are not members of the genus ''Abies''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Little|first=E. L.|date=1953|title=Check List of native and naturalized trees of the United States (including Alaska)|id=USDA Agricultural Handbook 41|publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture|location=Washington D.C.}}</ref> The Douglas-firs are medium-size to large or very large [[evergreen]] [[tree]]s, to 20-120 m tall. The [[leaf|leaves]] are flat and needle-like, generally resembling those of the [[fir]]s. The female [[Conifer cone|cones]] are pendulous, with persistent scales (unlike true firs), and are distinct in having a long tridentine (three-pointed) [[bract]] that protrudes prominently above each scale. Douglas-firs are used as food plants by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] species including [[Autumnal Moth]], [[Bordered White]], [[Engrailed|The Engrailed]], [[Pine Beauty]], [[Turnip Moth]] and the [[Gelechiidae|gelechiids]] ''[[Chionodes|Chionodes abella]]'' and ''[[Chionodes|Chionodes periculella]]'' which have both been recorded on ''P. menziesii''. A Californian [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] myth explains that each of the three-ended bracts are a tail and two tiny legs of the [[mouse|mice]] who hid inside the scales of the tree's cones, which was kind enough to be the enduring sanctuary for them during forest fires. == Species and varieties == [[Image:Pseudotsuga menziesii cone.jpg|thumb|[[Coast Douglas-fir]] cone, from a tree grown from seed collected by [[David Douglas]]]] By far the best-known is the very widespread and abundant [[North America]]n species ''Pseudotsuga menziesii'', a taxonomically complex species<ref>{{cite journal|first=Peng|last=Li|coauthors=W. T. Adams|title=Rangewide patterns of allozyme variation in Douglas-fir|quotes=no|journal=Canad. J. Forest Res.|volume=19|pages=149–161|date=1989|doi=10.1139/x89-022}}</ref> divided into two major subspecies (treated as distinct species by some botanists); [[Coast Douglas-fir]] or "Green Douglas-fir", on the [[Pacific]] coast; and [[Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir]] or "Interior Douglas-fir", in the interior west of the continent extending as far inland as [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]]<ref>[http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM253G Edworthy Park - Calgary, Alberta - Wikipedia Entries on Waymarking.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. The latter is in turn divided into two varieties, "Blue Douglas-fir" or "Colorado Douglas-fir" (var. ''glauca'') in the southern Rocky Mountains, and "Gray Douglas-fir" or "Fraser River Douglas-fir" (var. ''caesia'') in the northern Rocky Mountains. The species as a whole is generally known as simply "Douglas-fir", or as "Common Douglas-fir"; other less widely used names include "Oregon Douglas-fir", "Douglas Tree", and "Oregon Pine". It is the [[List of U.S. state trees|state tree]] of [[Oregon]]. Coast Douglas-fir can attain heights of {{convert|120|m|ft|0}}. That was the height of the tallest tree (of any species) ever well-documented, the Mineral Tree ([[Mineral, Washington]]), measured several times between 1911 and 1925 by Richard McCardle, a University of Washington forester. The volume of that tree was {{convert|515|m3|cuft|-1}}. The tallest extant individual is the Brummitt Fir ([[Coos Bay, Oregon]]) at {{convert|100.3|m|ft|0}}. Only [[Coast Redwood]] grow taller.<ref>{{cite book | last = Van Pelt | first = Robert | title = Forest Giants of the Pacific Coast | publisher = University of Washington Press | date = 2001 | pages = p.44 | id = ISBN 0295981407}}</ref> The specific name, ''menziesii'', is after [[Archibald Menzies]], a Scottish physician and rival [[Natural history|naturalist]] to [[David Douglas]], who first documented the tree on [[Vancouver Island]] in 1791. Away from its native area, it is also extensively used in [[forestry]] as a [[plantation]] tree for [[timber]] in [[Europe]], [[New Zealand]], southern [[South America]] and elsewhere. It is also [[naturalisation (biology)|naturalised]] throughout [[Europe]] (Austria with Liechtenstein, Belgium, Britain, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, Yugoslavia, Portugal, Poland, Romania, and Sweden)<ref>http://193.62.154.38/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Pseudotsuga&SPECIES_XREF=menziesii&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= Distribution of Douglas-fir</ref>, [[Chile]] (called commonly ''Pino Oregón'') and [[New Zealand]], sometimes to the extent of becoming an [[invasive species]] subject to control measures. [[Image:Douglas Fir branch-750px.JPG|right|thumb|Coast Douglas-fir branch]] [[Image:Pseudotsuga 01.jpg|right|thumb|Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir twig]] [[Image:Douglas Fir buds.jpg|right|frame|The buds of a Coast Douglas-fir]] All of the other species are of restricted range and little-known outside of their respective native environments, and even there are often rare and only of very scattered occurrence, occurring in mixed forests; all are listed as being of unfavourable [[conservation status]]. ;North America * [[Coast Douglas-fir]], ''Pseudotsuga menziesii'' subsp. ''menziesii'' ** [[Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir]], ''Pseudotsuga menziesii'' subsp. ''glauca'' * [[Mexican Douglas-fir]], ''Pseudotsuga lindleyana'' * [[Bigcone Douglas-fir]], ''Pseudotsuga macrocarpa'' ;Asia * [[Japanese Douglas-fir]], ''Pseudotsuga japonica'' * [[Chinese Douglas-fir]], ''Pseudotsuga sinensis'' var. ''sinensis'' ** [[Chinese Douglas-fir|Narrow-cone Chinese Douglas-fir]], ''Pseudotsuga sinensis'' var. ''gaussenii'' ** [[Chinese Douglas-fir|Short-leaf Chinese Douglas-fir]], ''Pseudotsuga sinensis'' var. ''brevifolia'' ** [[Chinese Douglas-fir|Yunnan Douglas-fir]], ''Pseudotsuga sinensis'' var. ''forrestii'' ** [[Chinese Douglas-fir|Taiwan Douglas-fir]], ''Pseudotsuga sinensis'' var. ''wilsoniana'' == Uses == Douglas-fir [[wood]] is used for structural applications that are required to withstand high loads. It is used extensively in the construction industry. Other examples include its use for homebuilt [[aircraft]]. Very often, these aircraft were designed to utilize [[Sitka Spruce]], which is becoming increasingly difficult to source in aviation quality grades. Douglas-fir are also the most common [[Christmas tree]]s in the United States where they are sold alongside true firs like Noble and Grand. Douglas-fir Christmas trees are usually trimmed to a near perfect cone instead of left to grow naturally like Noble and Grand.<ref>National Christmas Tree Assoc http://www.christmastree.org/trees/douglas.cfm</ref> ==Diseases== {{Main|List of douglas-fir diseases}} ==Trivia== * The tallest tree in the [[United Kingdom]] is a Douglas-fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii''). The tree, growing in Reelig Glen by [[Inverness]] is called Dughall Mor and stands at 64 m. It was measured in 2005 by Tony Kirkham and Jon Hammerton from the [[Royal_Botanic_Gardens%2C_Kew|Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]], the late Jim Paterson from [[The Tree Register]] and David Jardine of [[Forestry_Commission|The Forestry Commission]].<sup>[3]</sup> *On [[May 14]] [[2001]], a Douglas-fir was planted in honor of [[Douglas Adams]] after his death on [[May 11]] [[2001]]. They are also sometimes planted on [[Towel Day]]. *A tree cut down in 1902 at [[Lynn Valley]] on the northern shore of the city of [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]] was reported to have measured 415 feet (approximately 126 metre) in height, and over 14 feet (4.3 metre) in diameter.<sup>[7]</sup> ==References== {{reflist}} * <sup>[7]</sup> British Columbia Forest History Newsletter, Jan. 1996 [http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/Library/Forest_History_Newsletter/45.pdf] * <sup>[3]</sup> The Trees That Made Britain, BBC Wales. ==External links== {{commons|Pseudotsuga}} * [http://www.pinetum.org/cones/PScones.htm Arboretum de Villardebelle - cone photos] Images of cones of selected species * [http://www.conifers.org/pi/ps/index.htm Gymnosperm Database] * [http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-6UELAN Dughall Mor at Forestry Commission] * [http://www.tree-register.org/ The Tree Register] {{Pinaceae}} [[Category:Pinaceae]] [[Category:Trees of the Northwestern United States]] [[cs:Douglaska]] [[da:Douglasgran]] [[de:Douglasien]] [[es:Pseudotsuga]] [[eo:Duglasa abio]] [[fr:Pseudotsuga]] [[hr:Duglazije]] [[it:Pseudotsuga]] [[lt:Pocūgė]] [[nl:Pseudotsuga]] [[no:Douglasgraner]] [[pl:Jedlica]] [[pt:Pseudotsuga]] [[ro:Pseudotsuga]] [[sk:Douglaska tisolistá]] [[fi:Douglaskuuset]] [[sv:Douglasgranssläktet]] [[uk:Псевдотсуга]]