Trees to 30m; trunk to 0.45m diam.; crown spirelike. Bark gray, thin, smooth, with age somewhat furrowed and scaly (toward southern end of range bark is corky [corkbark fir]). Branches diverging from trunk at right angles, stout, stiff; twigs opposite to whorled, grayish, pubescence sparse, light brown; fresh leaf scars with light brown periderm. Buds exposed, brown, globose, small, resinous, apex rounded; basal scales long, narrow, isosceles triangular to spatulate, glabrous, resinous or not resinous, margins entire to rarely crenate, apex sharp-pointed or rounded. Leaves 1.1-2.5cm × 1.25-1.5mm, spiraled and turned upward, flexible; cross section flat, grooved adaxially, sometimes only slightly so; odor camphorlike; abaxial surface with 3--5 stomatal rows on each side of midrib; adaxial surface light green to bluish green, usually glaucous, with 3--6 stomatal rows at midleaf, rows usually continuous to leaf base, usually more numerous toward leaf apex; apex slightly notched to rounded; resin canals large, ± median, away from margins and midway between abaxial and adaxial epidermal layers. Pollen cones at pollination purplish. Seed cones cylindric, 5-10 ´ 3-3.5cm, dark purple-blue to grayish purple, sessile, apex rounded; scales ca. 1.5 ´ 2.5cm, densely pubescent; bracts included. Seeds 5-7 ´ 2-3mm, body brown; wing about 1.5 times as long as body, grayish brown; cotyledons 3-6.

Abies bifolia