Hi spartacus,
Please see the top line in this link.
Thanks

Here is a link that might be useful: Abies

I'm not sure how complicated an answer you were looking for, but chances of you getting viable developed seed from a single tree (and not a grouping of Spanish fir) may be slight. Not impossible, but your odds are lowered. And, the cones should ripen in approx Sept/Oct, not late winter or spring, and may give best results sown soon after their Fall harvest.

Article here on seed viability, effects of low pollination you may find interesting:
http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/content/77/2/187.full.pdf

Here is a link that might be useful: Pictures of mature seed

Thanks for the info, I don't really expect to be able to grow anything from the seeds, there isn't another Spanish Fir around. I will utilize those links for sure, some really great info on there.

Though I am curious how to define a ripe cone. Over the weekend the cones on my Spanish Fir just opened up and the seeds started falling out. And the seeds do look like the photo in the link.

Do you have seeds to spare that you could dissect a couple and investigate the interior, see if they are fully formed seeds?

I don't know why yours would be spilling their seeds this time of year, cones on Spanish fir don't usually remain on the tree when they should have ripened by fall as with some conifers that more typically hang onto theirs :).

See if this site - Oregon State edu. - helps. There's a photo of Spring (pollen) cones, then if you click next on the right at the top of the picture it shows SF cones that have ripened at the end of the season.

If you find your tree hasn't given you empty or partially formed seeds, you could always try sowing, nothing to lose. Day/night temps that will average about 40 probably best and it's beginning to get a little late (though not by much) for that here in WA, your refrigerator could extend a moist chill of 3-4 weeks. Bring back to warmer for germination.

Here is a link that might be useful: Oregon State spanish fir

Thanks again for the further info...I actually pushed on one of the seeds, it was squishy and when I popped it open what appeared as tree sap came out! Maybe not a fully formed seed. It's a young tree so I assumed I wouldn't be able to get good seeds off of it. The Spanish Fir is a cool tree though, I'll probably plant a couple more soon!