Picea orientalis
| Caucasian spruce | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Pinaceae |
| Genus: | Picea |
| Species: | P. orientalis
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| Binomial name | |
| Picea orientalis | |
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| Continuous range ✖ Isolated population | |
Picea orientalis, commonly known as the Oriental spruce[1] or Caucasian spruce,[2] is a species of spruce native to the Caucasus and adjacent northeast Turkey.
Description
It is a large coniferous evergreen tree growing to 30–40 metres (98–131 ft) tall (exceptionally to 57 m),[2][3] and with a trunk diameter of up to 1.5 m (rarely up to 2.3 m).[3]
The shoots are buff-brown and moderately pubescent (hairy). The leaves are needle-like, the shortest of any spruce, 6–8 mm long, rhombic in cross-section, glossy dark green with inconspicuous stomatal lines. The cones are slender cylindric-conic, 5–9 cm long and 1.5 cm broad, green or red to purple when young, maturing dark brown 5–7 months after pollination, and have stiff, smoothly rounded scales.[2][4]
Cultivation
It is a popular ornamental tree in large gardens, valued in northern Europe and the USA for its attractive foliage and ability to grow on a wide range of soils. It is also grown to a small extent in forestry for Christmas trees, timber and paper production, though its slower growth compared to Norway spruce reduces its importance outside of its native range. P. orientalis[5] and the cultivars 'Aurea' [6] and 'Skylands'[7] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[8] A frequently seen ornamental cultivar is Picea orientalis 'Aureospicata', which has gold-coloured young foliage in the spring.
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Picea orientalis forest, Giresun, Turkey -
Trees in habitat, Giresun, Turkey -
Mature trees, Trabzon, Turkey -
Foliage at the top of a young tree, Giresun, Turkey -
Foliage and cones (with a coal tit), Giresun, Turkey -
Pollen cones of cultivar 'Aurea'
References
- ^ a b Farjon, A. (2013). "Picea orientalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013 e.T42332A2973275. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42332A2973275.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ a b c Rushforth, Keith D. (1987). Conifers. London: Helm. p. 146. ISBN 0-7470-2801-X.
- ^ a b "Picea orientalis description". The Gymnosperm Database. 2026-01-10. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
- ^ Farjon, Aljos (1990). Pinaceae: drawings and descriptions of the genera Abies, Cedrus, Pseudolarix, Keteleeria, Nothotsuga, Tsuga, Cathaya, Pseudotsuga, Larix and Picea. Königstein Champaign: Koeltz scientific books. pp. 270–271. ISBN 3-87429-298-3.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Picea orientalis". Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Picea orientalis 'Aurea'". RHS. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
- ^ "RHS Plantfinder - Picea orientalis 'Skylands'". Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 78. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
External links
- Gymnosperm Database
- Picea orientalis - information, genetic conservation units and related resources. European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN)