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Picea abies (L.)H.Karst.


Picea abies (L.)H.Karst.
Photo Information
Copyright: Ena Simic (Ena) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 359 W: 61 N: 570] (2341)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-05-26
Categories: Trees
Exposure: f/4, 1/80 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-11-28 4:26
Viewed: 562
Points: 30
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Picea abies (L.)H.Karst.

Norway Spruce (Picea abies) is a large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 35-55 m tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 1-1.5 m.

It grows throughout northeast Europe from Norway and Poland eastward, and also in the mountains of central Europe, southwest to the western end of the Alps, and southeast in the Carpathians and Balkans to the extreme north of Greece. The northern limit is in the arctic, just north of 70°N in Norway. Its eastern limit in Russia is hard to define, due to extensive hybridisation and intergradation with the Siberian Spruce (Picea obovata), but is usually given as the Ural Mountains. However, trees showing some Siberian Spruce characters extend as far west as much of northern Finland, with a few records in northeast Norway. The hybrid is known as Picea x fennica.

Norway Spruce shoots are orange-brown and glabrous (hairless). The leaves are needle-like, 12-24 mm long, quadrangular in cross-section (not flattened), and dark green on all four sides with inconspicuous stomatal lines. The cones are 9-17 cm long (the longest of any spruce), and have triangular-pointed scale tips. They are green or reddish, maturing brown 5-7 months after pollination. The seeds are black, 4-5 mm long, with a pale brown 15 mm wing. The tallest measured tree, 63 m tall, has been in Perucica Virgin Forest, Sutjeska National Park, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Populations in southeast Europe tend to have on average longer cones with more pointed scales; these are sometimes distinguished as Picea abies var. acuminata, but there is extensive overlap in variation with trees from other parts of the range.

Some botanists treat Siberian Spruce as a subspecies of Norway Spruce, though in their typical forms, they are very distinct, the Siberian Spruce having cones only 5-10 cm long, with smoothly rounded scales, and pubescent (hairy) shoots.

Another spruce with smoothly rounded cone scales and hairy shoots occurs rarely in the central Alps in eastern Switzerland. It is also distinct in having thicker, blue-green leaves. Many texts treat this as a variant of Norway Spruce, but it is as distinct as many other spruces, and appears to be more closely related to Siberian Spruce, Schrenk's Spruce (P. schrenkiana) from central Asia and Morinda Spruce (P. smithiana) in the Himalaya. Treated as a distinct species, it takes the name Alpine Spruce (Picea alpestris). As with Siberian Spruce, it hybridises extensively with Norway Spruce; pure specimens are rare.


Cultivation and uses
Norway Spruce is one of the most widely planted spruces, both in and outside of its native range, used in forestry for timber and paper production, and as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens. It is also widely planted for use as a Christmas tree. It is naturalised in some parts of North America, though not so extensively as to be considered an invasive weed tree.

Several varieties are adapted for garden use.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Genus: Picea
Species: P. abies


Wikipedia
sherlock628, tiklod, Hamurkaroglu, dejo, Alma, antonio_costa has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1714 W: 24 N: 4988] (16346)
  • [2007-11-28 5:24]

Hi Ena,
This is a wonderful shot of this coniferous tree and you have presented good details on the leaves and cones. Very neat and sharp image with lovely green colour. Great lighting and POV. Very nicely composed. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

Zdravo Ena,
This is just like a Christmas tree full of ornaments.
Very nice details of the lovely cones. I can even feel the smell of resin.
Thanks
Pozdrav
Sibel

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1003 W: 6 N: 2707] (10057)
  • [2007-11-28 7:17]

intelligent point of view and perfect choice of light position,the colours are beautifull,thanks for share,Luciano

hello ena,
fine capture of this Picea abies, very suitable pov, lovely saturated colours, well composed shot, sharp image with good details, the oe patch on the upper part could have been cropped off,
tfs & regards
pankaj

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3043 W: 148 N: 4547] (14679)
  • [2007-11-28 9:02]

Hi Ena.
I love these trees and selected subject so much. You managed to reflect the beauty of this species very well. I like POV, impressive framing and composition, nice natural colours. I also like excellent details and sharpness of the image. Well done and TFS.
Alexei.

Bonsoir Ena
Les fruits des résineux, ont tous de belles caractéristiques, et ici ta photo rend bien leur allure
Merci
Laurent

Hello Ena,
Beautiful colours, detail and excellent composition. Unique and very interesting image that just seems to lift my spirits. Talented work. TFS
Thomas

Very Nice picture, wonderful colors.!

  • Great 
  • tiklod Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 300 W: 74 N: 883] (3367)
  • [2007-12-07 15:12]

Hello Ena,
Excellent shot! Light, colours, DOF and exposure are perfect... Nice POV and lovely imagination from you!
Best regards,

Claude

Hello Ena,
This is a pleasant close-up of the cones!
Last year was a great year for cones in my place, and a lot of them was harvested for future use...
Fine details and good colours, in a well composed pøresentation!
Greetings,
Pablo -

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2468 W: 168 N: 7464] (23588)
  • [2007-12-10 7:28]

Hello Ena,
Lovely capture of these pine cones from a nice low point of view. Great sharpness and natural colours. I like the focus on the fresh shoots of the Spruce too. A very nice composition!
TFS and regards, Ulla

  • Great 
  • dejo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 355 W: 51 N: 476] (2056)
  • [2007-12-19 14:43]

Ciao Ena,
fina slicica! dobar ugao i boje, mozda malo prejako svjetlo, nista strasno.
Dejan

  • Great 
  • Alma Silver Star Critiquer [C: 13 W: 0 N: 1] (8)
  • [2008-01-03 15:19]

Ciao Ena,
Good, educative shot!
Nice colors nad good composition!
Alma

Hi Ena
Beautiful image, colors are really amazing, great details and beautiful composition
great work
best regards, Ivan

Hi Ena! Nice shot of this abies! TFS. Have nice weeks!
Cheers,
Bayram

Hola Ena,
Es una magnifica foto. Buena composicion y una luz muy bien lograda que aisla el motivo principal del fondo.
Gracias por compartirla.
Saludos

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