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Scientific name:	Abies kawakamii (Hayata) Ito

Features:

Abies kawakamii are evergreen coniferous trees with straight, erect trunks; depressed leaves that contain two lines of white stomata arranged in a spiral pattern underneath; and scaly, grayish-brown bark. A tree with monoecious flowers, the female flowers are dark red and cylindrical-shaped while the male flowers are spiked, dark yellow, and hang downwards. Their scarlet red cones stand upright, and unlike other types of coniferous trees, they gradually lose their cones' scales and seeds when they mature, falling to the ground. Found in the niches of mountain slopes and on the ridges of foothills, Abies kawakamii often form an extended, jigsaw-shaped range of green forests. The apex of the tree is its weakest point, and if broken, will often result in the loss of the tree's life. Despite this weakness, seedlings are now being seen in increased numbers near the edges of mixed forests alongside Yushania niitakayamensis and Abies kawakamii.

Habitat:

Large coniferous forests of Abies kawakamii are widespread at the highest elevations in Taiwan, which is at an altitude of 2500-3700m. They have low commercial value and their wood is not highly sought out for production purposes because of the high shipping costs involved with removing them from mountains. Consequently, Abies kawakamii are rarely cut or removed illegally, making them some of the best-preserved forests in Taiwan.