Picea meyeri (白扦) description

Conservation Status

Picea meyeri

Rehder & E.H.Wilson (Sarg. 1914)

Common names

Meyer spruce (Farjon 1990); 白扦 bái qiān which translates as "white spruce" [Chinese]; populations sometimes called P. mongolica are referred to as sand spruce, 沙地云杉 shā dì yún shān.

Taxonomic notes

Type: F. N. Meyer 22672, 1908.02.25, temple of "Tchai-ling-tse" on Wutai Shan (Shanxi) at 3000 m elevation (Sargent 1914). Wutai is 3058 m tall, thus near the summit. Synonymy: see POWO. The only synonym that appears in current usage is Picea mongolica (H.Q.Wu) W.D.Xu, also described as both a variety and a subspecies of P. meyeri. Molecular phylogenetic evidence supports discrimination of P. mongolica as a distinct taxon occupying a disjunct range and distinct ecological setting relative to the rest of the species (Liu et al. 2024). As such it should warrant treatment at subspecies rank, though species rank might also be warranted; Liu et al. (2024) present a molecular clock analysis indicating the taxa have been distinct for about 4 million years. As a practical matter the name P. mongolica is already established in the Chinese literature. At subspecies rank the correct name is P. meyeri subsp. mongolica (H.Q.Wu) Silba.

This is a member of the "Picea asperata complex," which includes P. asperata, P. crassifolia, P. koraiensis, P. meyeri, P. neoveitchii, P. retroflexa and P. wilsonii. Speciation in this group was mainly driven by uplift of the Tibetan plateau and associated mountain ranges distributed between the Plateau and Korea. The most recent common ancestor for this group probably dates to the early/mid Miocene, about 17 million years ago. Within this group, P. meyeri is sister to the clade P. asperata-P. crassifolia-P. retroflexa, with a most recent common ancestor about 5 million years ago, i.e. the Miocene/Pliocene transition. There is still evidence of gene flow between the groups, particularly toward the western end of the P. meyeri distribution (Liu et al. 2024). The early Pliocene speciation was a time of moderate climate warming and increased intensity of the summer monsoon; this was also about the time of Mongolian Plateau uplift, leading to the environmental differences that prompted development of subsp. mongolica.

Description

Trees to 30 m tall and 60 cm dbh, with a conical crown of long slender branches, columnar in closed stands. Bark scaly, coming off in papery flakes, orange-brown turning gray in older trees. Twigs yellow-brown, pubescent or glabrous, short, stiff, ridged, grooved, color and pubescences fading after first year. Pulvini 1.5–2 mm long, perpendicular to shoot or slightly recurved, darker than shoot. Buds ovoid-conical or broad-conical, acute, 6–10 × 4–8 mm, resinous; bud scales triangular-acute, keeled, appressed or the upper scales with tips free and slightly recurved, pale brown. Leaves spreading radially, ascending on upper side of branchlets, spreading and curved upward on lower side, quadrangular, linear, slightly curved, apex acute but not pungent, (8-)13-25(-30) × 2 mm, glaucous green, with 2-5 stomatal lines on upper surface and 4-5 on lower surface. Pollen cones 2–2.5 cm. Seed cones green (purple in ssp. mongolica), maturing brown, oval-oblong to cylindrical, symmetrical, apex obtuse, short-pedunculate to sessile, 6-12 × 2.5-4 cm with opened scales. Seed scales obovate to suborbicular, 1..5-2 × 1-1.6 cm at mid-cone, striate on exposed part, apex rounded or triangular. Bracts ligulate-spathulate, 3–4 × 1.5–2.5 mm, entirely included. Seeds obovoid, 3.5 mm and dark brown with a 10-15 mm yellowish-brown wing. Pollination April, seed maturity September-October (Sargent 1914, Wu and Raven 1999, Farjon 2010).

Ssp. mongolica has first-year shoots pale orange-yellow or yellow, and densely hairy; the type subspecies has first-year shoots pale red or orange-yellow, sparsely hairy. The seed cones are purplish when young rather than green, and at maturity average 6.5-12.5 × 3.5-4.5 cm, vs. 6.2-9.0 × 3.2-4.1 cm (Zu et al. 1994).

Distribution and Ecology

N China: Hebei, Nei Mongol, Shanxi (Wutai Shan), Shaanxi, and possibly S Gansu, at 1600-2700 m elevation, often restricted to N aspects. Soils are mainly non-calcareous podzols but ssp. mongolica is typically on deep stabilized sands. Climate is cold continental, particularly in the W part of the range, with 500-800 mm annual precipitation (Farjon 1990, Zu et al. 1994, Wu and Raven 1999, Farjon 2010).

Distribution of all species in the Picea asperata complex; data from GBIF (2026). P. asperata shown in green. Data have been edited to remove location duplicates, remove collections with coordinate uncertainty >10 km, and remove obvious extralimital occurrences. Specimens have not been checked and some may be misidentified. Click on any point for more info.

The majority of the distribution of the type subspecies is in the mountains of Shanxi and Hebei. Elevations gradually decrease from S to N, reaching 1800-2500 m in Guandi Shan, Guanze Shan, and Wutai Shan, but 1500-1800 m in Xiaowutai Shan, Wuling Shan, and Weichang; and 1500 m in the mountains of Xiwuzhumuqin Banner, Nei Mongol. Stands are scattered, often forming pure forests, but sometimes dominated by Picea wilsonii, Larix gmelinii var. principis-rupprechti, Betula platyphylla, B. davurica, B. albo-sinensis, and Sorbus spp. Abies nephrolepis is occasionally seen (Xu et al. 1994).

Subspecies mongolica is an important indicator species of the Nei Mongol grassland. It is mainly distributed in the North China Mountains, the transition zone from the Greater Khingan Mountains to the Inner Mongolian Plateau, near the range of the type subspecies. Historically, it was part of a vast and continuous pine forest, but due to modern human activities, the forest has been severely damaged and is only scattered on the eastern edge of the Lesser Tengger Desert. The most extensive stands are in the Baiyin Aobao Nature Reserve. Because subsp. mongolica is commonly associated with temperate grasslands, it has lower precipitation and generally greater water stress compared to the typical subspecies' habitat. The trees bear little lichen, moss, or other epiphytes. Forests are typically dominated by the spruce, with occasional small amounts of birch. The understory flora is also not particularly diverse and always features a number of grassland species, which are not found in forests of the typical subspecies (Xu et al. 1994).

The IUCN in 2010 assessed Picea meyeri as "Near Threatened" ("almost qualifies for listing as Threatened"), mainly due to recent large declines in area of occupancy attributed to logging and land-use conversion to agricultural uses (Zhang and Rushforth 2013). Wu et al. (2022) used MaxEnt modeling to assess the distribution of suitable habitat under standard IPCC (2013) climate change scenarios. Model results generally forecast little change in habitat suitability, with moderate declines forecast under the most aggressive change scenario (RCP8.5 in 2070). Thus the conservation status of the species is somewhat precarious and highly susceptible to management policies that may emphasize harvest and/or reforestation.

Remarkable Specimens

No data as of 2026-10-14.

Ethnobotany

This is an important timber tree in northern China, harvested in both naturally-regenerated stands and in plantations. The wood is used for house building and other construction, poles, furniture, and as a source of pulp. Picea meyeri is also used for afforestation and is grown as an ornamental tree both China and in Europe and North America (Zhang and Rushforth 2013).

Both subspecies have been investigated in dendrochronological studies. A study sampling the type subspecies across a range of elevations found fairly typical patterns of variation: responsive to growing-season temperature near the upper elevation limits, and responsive to annual precipitation near the lower elevation limits (Zhang et al. 2012, Jiang et al. 2014). A 2023 study found the species useful for reconstructing summer temperature variation since 1740 (Chen et al. 2023). Liang et al. (2001), sampling subsp. mongolica, found growth to be well correlated with climate variables, particularly precipitation; samples crossdated readily and showed good sensitivity to climate.

Observations

No data as of 2026-10-14.

Remarks

The epithet remembers Dutch botanist Frans N. Meijer (1875-1918) who emigrated to the USA in 1900, changed his name to Frank Meyer, and began a career of plant collecting for the USDA and Arnold Arboretum, traveling through some of the wildest and most lawless regions of western China, Turkestan, Manchuria and Korea. Among the more than 2,000 taxa he collected was what would become the type specimen of Picea meyeri, found on February 25, 1908 on Wutaishan (五台山) in Shanxi. Meyer spent most of the rest of his life on collecting expeditions, and died during one of them 11 years later.

Citations

Chen, Qiaomei, Weipeng Yue, Feng Chen, et al. 2023. Warm season temperature reconstruction in north China based on the tree-ring blue intensity of Picea meyeri. Journal of Geographical Sciences 33:2511–2529. doi:10.1007/s11442-023-2187-6.

Farjon, Aljos. 1990. Pinaceae: drawings and descriptions of the genera Abies, Cedrus, Pseudolarix, Keteleeria, Nothotsuga, Tsuga, Cathaya, Pseudotsuga, Larix and Picea. Königstein: Koeltz Scientific Books.

IPCC. 2013. Climate change 2013: the physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Edited by T.F. Stocker, D. Qin, G.-K. Plattner, M. Tignor, S.K. Allen, J. Boschung, et al. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY.

Jiang, Yuan, Wentao Zhang, Mingchang Wang, et al. 2014. Radial growth of two dominant montane conifer tree species in response to climate change in north-central China. PloS one 9(11):e112537. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0112537.

Liang, Eryuan, Xuemei Shao, Yuxi Hu, and Jinxing Lin. 2001. Dendroclimatic evaluation of climate-growth relationships of Meyer spruce (Picea meyeri) on a sandy substrate in semi-arid grassland, north China. Trees 15(4):230–235. doi:10.1007/s004680100097.

Liu, Yifu, Wenfa Xiao, Fude Wang, et al. 2024. Species divergence and environmental adaptation of Picea asperata complex at the whole genome level. Ecology and Evolution 14:e70126.

Sargent, C.S. (ed.) 1914. Plantae Wilsonianae, Publications of the Arnold Arboretum No. 4. Jamaica Plain, Mass. V. 2, pg. 28. Available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org, accessed 2010.12.22.

Wu, Xiaomeng, Dongmei Ye, Yue Bai, et al. 2022. Distribution pattern and future change of Picea meyeri in China based on Maxent model. Acta Botanica Boreali-Occidentalia Sinica 42(1):162–172.

Xu, W. D., W. D. Li, and Y. Zheng. 1994. A study on taxonomy of Picea mongolica in Inner Mongolia. Bulletin of Botanical Research 14(1):59-68.

Zhang, Wen-tao, Yuan Jiang, Man-yu Dong, et al. 2012. Relationship between the radial growth of Picea meyeri and climate along elevations of the Luyashan mountain in north-central China. Forest Ecology and Management 265:142–149. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2011.10.017.

Zhang, D. and Keith Rushforth. 2013. Picea meyeri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T42330A2973103. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42330A2973103.en, accessed on 2026.10.14.