Mount Morrison Spruce

The timber is used for construction, vehicles, furniture, and wood pulp.

Trees to 50 m tall; trunk to 1.5 m d.b.h.; bark grayish brown, scaly, flaking; branchlets initially brown or yellowish brown, turning grayish brown in 2nd year, glabrous; winter buds ovoid, rarely conical-ovoid, scales appressed at base of branchlets. Leaves densely arranged, directed forward on upper side of branchlets, spreading on lower side, linear, straight or slightly curved, broadly rhombic in cross section, 0.8-1.4 cm × ca. 1 mm, stomatal lines 5 along each surface adaxially and 2 or 3 along each surface abaxially, apex acute. Seed cones red or purplish green, maturing brown, rarely with a little purple, oblong- or ovoid-cylindric, 5-7 × 2.5-3 cm. Seed scales somewhat closely arranged, those at middle of cones obovate, ca. 1.5 × 1.2 cm, base broadly cuneate or slightly rounded, apex broadly rounded. Seeds nearly obovoid, ca. 3-4 mm; wing yellowish or orange-brown, obovate-oblong, 6-7 mm. Pollination Apr, seed maturity Oct.

Taiwan

* Mountains; 2500-3000 m.

Picea morrisonicola, the Taiwan spruce, is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae. It is found only in Taiwan, and it is the only species of spruce in Taiwan. It is the southernmost species of spruce in the world, being spread near the Tropic of Cancer, and, subsequently, is only thought to be hardy to USDA Zone 8. Taiwan spruce is a large tree, up to 50 m (160 ft) in height and 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) in diameter. It grows at altitudes of about 2,000–2,500 m (6,600–8,200 ft) in the Central Mountain Range in ravines and mountain slopes, usually mixed with other trees.

Taiwan spruce is one of the most important timber species in Taiwan. Populations have declined because of overexploitation.