Single Record

Participant Info

Species
Abies bifolia [Abies lasiocarpa] [Abies arizonica] [Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica] [Abies lasiocarpa var. bifolia]
Family
Pinaceae
CommonName
Rocky Mountain subalpine fir, cork-bark fir
Presence
Yes
Status
native
EarliestDate
1946
LatestDate
2022
Ecosystem
montane, subalpine
Geobotanical
Garitas, SSanjuans, NCristos
Counties
Alamosa, Costilla, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache, Archuleta
Passes
Music, Wolf Creek
WildlifePreserves
Great Sand Dunes
Other Localities
Comments
In the Watershed, Rocky Mountain subalpine fir sometime neighbors with Picea engelmannii, but it is much less common. It has been recorded from the north Cristos, Music and Wolf Creek passes, Wagon Wheel Gap in Mineral Co, and south of Platoro in Conejos Co. BONAP shows Costilla Co, with no vouchers in SEINet. Abies bifolia shares many characteristics with A. lasiocarpa, but most botanists now restrict the second to the Pacific Northwest coastal ranges, and the first, Abies bifolia, to the other mountains in the West. It follows the Rio Grande drainage down to Socorro Co, New Mexico. The Watershed variety is Abies bifolia var. arizonica, sometimes named Abies arizonica or Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica. This flora follows FNA in retaining Abies bifolia as a distinct species, although there is good evidence that all these taxons should be called Abies lasiocarpa (e.g., Ackerfield 2022).