Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness

Presented in Association with the
Western New Mexico University Department of Natural Sciences

Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco var. glauca (Beissner) Franco
(Douglas Fir)

Family: Pinaceae

Status: Native

Synonyms:
Pseudotsuga mucronata (Rafinesque) Sudworth
Pinus taxifolia (Lamarck) Britton var. glauca (Beissner) Sudworth
Pseudotsuga taxifolia (Lambert) Britton

Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca is a common tall tree of upper elevation mixed conifer forests in the Gila National Forest. It is easily distinguished from other Pinaceae by noticing that the needles have a 45 degree angle in them just before connecting to the branch. The cones are small and have three-pronged spears for bracts. The seeds are winged but considerably smaller than those of Ponderosa pine.
Please click on an image for a larger file.



Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, photo Russ Kleinman, Pinos Altos Range, Little Cherry Creek Ranch, June 27, 2007



Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, petioles of needles entering at angle to stem, photo Russ Kleinman, Pinos Altos Range, Signal Peak Turnoff, Oct. 19, 2007



Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, cones, photo Russ Kleinman, Pinos Altos Range, Georgetown Canyon, Mar. 29, 2008



Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, cones, photo Russ Kleinman, Richard Felger, & Carey Anne Lafferty, Black Range, McKnight Road, Oct. 4, 2008



Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, 1x macro of bract, photo Russ Kleinman, Pinos Altos Range, McMillen Campground, Jan. 12, 2009



Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, 1x macro of winged seed, photo Russ Kleinman, Pinos Altos Range, McMillen Campground, Jan. 12, 2009



Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, pistillate cones, photo Elroy Limmer, WNMU Campus, Silver City, April 1, 2009



Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, staminate cones, photo Elroy Limmer, WNMU Campus, Silver City, April 1, 2009



Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, pistillate cones are purple when immature, photo Russ Kleinman & Richard Felger, Black Range, North Percha Creek, May 4, 2009


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