Purple Cone Spruce

This species produces fine quality timber similar to that of Picea likiangensis.

Trees to 50 m tall; trunk to 1 m d.b.h.; bark dark gray, scaly; crown pyramidal; branchlets initially yellow or pale brownish yellow, turning yellow-gray or gray in 2nd or 3rd year, densely pubescent; winter buds conical, resinous, scales not reflexed, or slightly opening at apex. Leaves spreading radially, or closely appressed forward on upper side of branchlets, ± spreading on lower side, linear, straight or slightly curved, broadly rhombic in cross section, ± dorsiventrally flattened, 7-12 × 1.5-1.8 mm, keeled on both sides, stomatal lines 4-6 along each surface adaxially, sometimes also 1 or 2 incomplete lines abaxially, apex obtuse-mucronate. Seed cones purplish black or reddish purple, cylindric-ovoid or ellipsoid, 2.5-4(-6) × 1.7-3 cm. Seed scales loosely arranged, rhombic-ovate, 1.3-1.6 × ca. 1.3 cm at middle of cones, ± papery, distal margin thinner, narrowed into a triangle, undulate, erose-denticulate. Seeds ca. 9 mm including brown, purple-spotted wing. Cotyledons 5-7, 1-1.3 cm. Pollination Apr, seed maturity Oct.

S Gansu, Qinghai, N Sichuan

* Mountains; predominantly on N-facing slopes; 2600-3800 m.

Picea likiangensis (Franchet) E. Pritzel var. purpurea (Masters) Dallimore & A. B. Jackson.

Detail

Picea purpurea, also known as purple cone spruce and purple-coned spruce is a species of spruce found only in China. It is likely to be a hybrid species produced by crosses between Picea likiangensis and Picea wilsonii, or possibly involving other species.