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32. CONIFERAE
1. Abies spectabilis (D. Don) Spach. Hist. Veg. Phan. 11: 422. (Fig. 138).
Abies chiloensis Hort.—Abies chilrowensis Hort.—Abies densa Griff.—Abies webbiana Lindl.—
Picea webbiana Lour.—Pinus webbiana Wall.
Engl. Himalayan Silver Fir; Sinh. Talispaturu; Tarn. Talis patra: Hindi Talispatra;
Sans. Talispatra.
A large tree, about 50—70 m tall with heavy, spreading branches forming a more or less
flattened head; bark greyish brown, rough, fissured and scaling off on old trees; young shoots
stout, reddish-brown, deeply-grooved, hairy in the furrow; winter buds large, rounded covered
with resin which conceals the scales; leaves variable in size, 2.5—6.5 cm long, about 2.5 mm
broad,*arranged in two lateral sets spreading right and left, each set of several ranks, the lower
ranks with leaves spreading horizontally, upper ranks with leaves becoming gradually fhorter,
directed outwards and upwards forming a V-shaped depression between them, linear, flat,
obtusely emarginate, dark green and grooved on the upper surface, silvery beneath with two
conspicuous white bands of stomata: flowers unisexual, both male and female borne on the
same tree; male flowers in short, ovoid catkins from the leaf axils on the underside of
the branchlets which on falling leave gall-like scars; female flowers in cones composed
of numerous bracts each bearing a large scale and two ovules at the base: mature cones cylindrical,
blunt, 15—20 cm long, standing erect on the upper branchlets, with close overlapping fanshaped
scales and hidden bracts, violet purple changing into dark brown when mature, scales
and bracts falling soon after the seeds are ripe, seeds winged.
Illustrations. DaJJimore and Jackson, Handbook of Coniferae, Jig. 27. 1954; Kirtikar
and Basu. Indian Med. Plants./?/. 928B. 1933; Veitch and Sons. Manual of the Coniferae />. 109.
IH81.
Distribution. Occurs in the forests of inner Himalaya extending from Afghanistan to
Bhutan at 8000—13,000 feet altitude. It does not grow in Ceylon but the drug is imported from
India.
Composition. The leaves yield a volatile oil and resin.
Uses. The leaves are regarded as carminative, expectorant and stomachic and useful
for phthisis, asthma, bronchitis, dyspepsia and flatulence. The drug is rapidly excreted
through the skin, bronchial mucous membrane and kidneys stimulating them and acting as a
diaphoretic and diuretic. Hence, it is used in pneumonia, septic conditions of the urinary
tract and for haemorrhoids.
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