Morphological and anatomical traits identifying the silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) from the Serra San Bruno provenance

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Abstract
Purpose of the study is to find a faster and simpler way to identify the silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) from Serra San Bruno (Catanzaro). A morphological and anatomical analysis comparing the Serra San Bruno provenance and the Vallombrosa provenance detected that the SSB provenance had a higher percentage of needles with pointed apex and with stomata on the adaxial side, a greater number of stomatal rows per band, a greater number of stomata per 1 mm segment and per mm2, a greater thickness of the mechanical tissue (epidermis and hypodermis) and the palisade parenchyma, and a smaller diameter of the resin ducts. Observations with the electron microscope confirm these differences and show up the greater xeromorphic adaptation of the SSB provenance. Since many PSSB traits are retained when the provenance is transplanted outside its natural area of distribution, they are probably genetic in origin.