Fir

Uncommon card · No. 88364

Firs are coniferous trees belonging to the genus Abies (Latin: [ˈabieːs]) in the family Pinaceae. They are tall trees that can be distinguished from other members of the pine family by the way in which their needle-like leaves are attached singly to the branches with a circular base, and by their cones, which, like those of cedars, stand upright on the branches like candles and disintegrate at maturity. There are approximately 48–65 extant species, found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Eurasia, and North Africa. The genus is most closely related to Keteleeria, a small genus confined to eastern Asia. The wood of firs is used for pulp to make paper, for plywood, and for indoor construction. Some species serve as Christmas trees, while others are used as decorative trees with their brightly coloured cones. In art, Lucas Cranach the Elder painted Madonna under the fir tree for Wrocław Cathedral in 1510.

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