Abies

Abies, commonly known as firs, is a genus of coniferous trees in the pine family Pinaceae comprising between roughly 48 and 65 extant species, found across mountainous regions of North and Central America, Eurasia, and North Africa; its closest living relative is the smaller East Asian genus Keteleeria. Firs are distinguished from other pine-family trees by needle-like leaves attached singly to the branch by a circular base, and by cones that stand upright on the branches like candles and disintegrate entirely at maturity rather than falling intact. Fir wood is widely used for paper pulp, plywood, and indoor construction, and several species, including the balsam fir and Nordmann fir, are grown commercially as Christmas trees, while others are cultivated ornamentally for their brightly coloured cones.