black spruce

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• black spruce
• bog spruce
• swamp spruce

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Picea mariana var. pendula-variegata
• Picea nigra var. pendula-variegata
• Pinus mariana
• Pinus canadensis var. nigricans
• Picea nigra pendula
• Picea nigra
• Picea mariana var. pendula
• Picea nigra var. doumetii
• Picea mariana f. doumetii
• Picea mariana f. grisea
• Picea mariana f. beissneri
• Picea brevifolia var. semiprostrata
• Picea nigra var. fastigiata
• Picea brevifolia
• Picea mariana f. fastigiata
• Picea mariana f. semiprostrata
• Abies nigra var. pumila
• Picea mariana f. fastigiata
• Picea mariana f. empetroides
• Picea nigra var. nana
• Pinus canadensis var. nigra
• Picea mariana f. nana
• Picea nigra var. virgata
• Picea ericoides
• Picea nigra var. semiprostrata
• Picea mariana f. ericoides
• Picea nigra var. brevifolia
• Picea mariana var. semiprostrata
• Picea mariana var. fastigiata
• Picea mariana var. brevifolia
• Picea mariana var. beissneri
• Picea mariana f. squamea
• Abies denticulata
• Abies mariana
• Pinus denticulata

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is categorized under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Pinidae and the order Pinales, falling into the family Pinaceae. Finally, the medicinal species is identified by its genus, Picea.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, known as Picea mariaana, exhibits a wide range of habitats across the northern hemisphere. In Northern Europe, its presence is established within the territories of Norway and Sweden. Moving across the ocean to Subarctic America, the species can be found spanning the vast landscape of Alaska. It also thrives in the remote regions of Nunavut. Finally, its distribution extends through the expansive Northwest Territories.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Picea mariana is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the organism to persist through multiple growing seasons and establish long-term presence within its ecosystem. As a phanerophyte, its regenerative buds are located high above the ground on woody stems, a structural adaptation that protects the plant's vital tissues from environmental stressors. This phanerophyte growth form, consistent across its developmental stages, facilitates its survival in diverse forest environments by maintaining height and structural complexity over time.

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Picea mariana is characterized by a woody growth form, functioning as a self-supporting tree. It is a terrestrial species that grows independently, rather than acting as a parasite or an epiphyte. In terms of stature, the plant exhibits significant vertical development, with a height that typically reaches a mean of 20 m, though individual specimens can range from a minimum of 20 m to a maximum height of 55 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

55 m

Plant height mean:

20 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Picea mariana is characterized by its specific metabolic and morphological adaptations to its environment. The plant utilizes a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which is the standard mechanism for most coniferous species, involving the direct fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide through the Calvin cycle. In terms of its leaf morphology and resource acquisition strategy, the species exhibits a Specific Leaf Area (SLA) with a mean value of 107.82 cm²/g, a metric that reflects the structural density and efficiency of its needle-like foliage in balancing light interception with water conservation.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

107.82 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Picea mariana is characterized by specific seed metrics and a specialized dispersal strategy. The seeds produced by this species exhibit a relatively small mass, with a recorded minimum of 0.0007 g and a maximum of 0.002 g, resulting in a calculated mean seed mass of approximately 0.001154889 g. In terms of its dispersal syndrome, the plant utilizes an anemochorous mechanism, relying primarily on wind to transport its seeds to new locations for colonization.

Dispersal syndrome :

anemochorous

Seed mass max:

0.002 g

Seed mass mean:

0.001154889 g

Seed mass min:

7e-04 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Picea mariana has 15 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Betulin, DL-Camphor, DL-Limonene, EO, L-Borneol.

Betulin

1. Dr. Duke

DL-Camphor

1. Dr. Duke

DL-Limonene

1. Dr. Duke

EO

1. Dr. Duke

L-Borneol

1. Dr. Duke

L-Camphene

1. Dr. Duke

L-alpha-Pinene

1. Dr. Duke

L-bornyl acetate

1. Dr. Duke

MYRCENE

1. Dr. Duke

SANTENE

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Picea mariana has 36 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include ACE-Inhibitor, Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor, Allelochemic, Allergenic, Analgesic.

ACE-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Allelochemic

1. Dr. Duke

Allergenic

1. Dr. Duke

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke

AntiHIV

1. Dr. Duke

Antiacetylcholinesterase

1. Dr. Duke

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke

Anticarcinomic

1. Dr. Duke

Anticonvulsant

1. Dr. Duke