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of Stanford Trees, Shrubs, and VinesEncyclopedia
of Stanford Trees, Shrubs, and Vines
The 1-inch needles of Cilician fir are dark glossy green on top and paler green below, but most of the underside is covered by two broad, whitish bands. Under a hand lens each band is seen to consist of half a dozen or so lines of separate white dots, the stomata that control gas exchange with the air.
Rich in history, long before and long after it was defined as a Roman province, Cilicia is on the Turkish coast, just north of Cyprus, and is now a cruise-ship destination. Its firs are not commonly planted; we are indebted to Saratoga Horticultural Research Foundation for cultivating them.
Two beautiful 6-foot individuals are in the area bounded by Green Library, Meyer Library, and Galvez Module; another, 12 feet high, is east of the Clock Tower surrounded by a sea of prostrate tea-tree.
Illustrations (links open new windows): habit |
Additions/Revisions:Name derivation, genus | species Latin name for fir | of Cilicia, Turkey
Related material: Botanical
name index | Common name index | Family
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