bigcone Douglas-fir Pinaceae Pseudotsuga
macrocarpa (Vasey) Mayr
symbol: PSMA
Leaf: Evergreen flat needles, 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches long, irregularly two ranked, generally sharp pointed, attached singly and lack a woody peg or suction cup attachment, blue-green to gray-green above, bluish bands below.
Flower: Species is monoecious; males oblong, red turning to pale yellow, appearing near branch tips in clusters; females reddish with long bracts, appearing near branch tips in spring.
Fruit: Very distinctive dark brown cone, 4 to 6 inches long, round scales with obvious three-lobed bracts protruding beyond cone scales, maturing in late summer.
Twig: Slender, reddish brown often drooping, with long sharp, pointed, reddish brown buds.
Bark: Smooth gray-brown when young, becoming darker, reddish brown and deeply furrowed with rounded ridges.
Form: Medium sized tree reaching up to 60 feet tall often with long swooping branches.
Looks like: Douglas-fir
- Chinese Douglas-fir
- bristlecone fir
- western hemlock