About this species
Abies firma (momi fir) is a large, aromatic evergreen conifer native to Japan, growing up to 50 m tall with distinctive broad, leathery, bifid-tipped needles, notable for its tolerance of heat, poor drainage, and Phytophthora infection (1).
About this genome
The genome assemblies of Abies firma, Abies fraseri, Abies procera, and Abies equi-trojani represent among the first chromosome-scale pangenomic resources within the genus Abies, filling a critical gap in conifer genomics and providing breeders, conservationists, and the Christmas tree industry with molecular markers needed for informed cultivar selection, rootstock improvement, and resistance breeding.
Project information
| Common name: | Momi fir |
| Conservation status: | Least Concern (IUCN Red List) |
| Project leads: | Justin Whitehill (NCSU), Ross Whetten (NCSU), Jill Wegrzyn (UConn) |
| Project members: | Vidya Vuruputoor (UConn), Mary Rutter (UConn) |
| Completed: | Sequencing |
| In progress: | Assembly, Analysis |
| Funding: | Specialty Crop Research Initiative project award no. 2024-51181-432333, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. |
| References: | (1) Abies firma, The Gymnosperm Database. Accessed from conifers.org |
| (2) Interactions Between Root Rotting Phytophthora, Abies Christmas Trees, and Environment, The American Phytopathological Society. Accessed from apsjournals.apsnet.org |