Pinus strobiformis

Pinus strobiformis Engelm.

by Theresa Clark, Native Plants of Arizona 2007
Common names: Mexican white pine, southwestern white pine (1), pino blanco, pinabete (2)
Family: Pinaceae (3)
Synonymy: Pinus ayacahuite C.A. Ehrenb., Pinus flexilis James var. reflexa Engelm., Pinus reflexa Engelm. (3)
Etymology: strobiformis: strobus is Latin for ‘gum yielding tree’; formis, is Latin for ‘in the form or shape of’; formis may refer to the tree’s similar appearance to Pinus strobus, an eastern species (4).

Identification
Growth form: Tree, 15-24(30) m tall; 50-90 cm DBH; trunk slender and straight; crown conic, rounded to irregular; branches: spreading-ascending; young twigs: slender, pale red-brown, puberulous or glabrous, occasionally glaucous; mature twigs: gray or gray-brown, smooth (4).
Bark: young tree: smooth and silvery-gray; mature tree: furrowed into rough rectangular plates, dark grayish-brown (4).
Needles: 5 per fascicle, 4-10 cm long; spreading to ascending-upcurved; straight, slightly twisted, pliant; dark green to blue-green; persisting 3-5 years (4). Female cones: pendent and symmetric; immature: lance-cylindric; open: broadly lance-cylindric, 15-25 cm, creamy brown to light yellow-brown; tip reflexed; matures in 2 years and then sheds its seeds and falls from the tree (4).
Male cones: cylindric; ca. 6-10 mm; pale yellow-brown (4).
Seeds: ovoid; body 10-13 mm, red-brown, essentially wingless (4).
Similar species: Pinus strobiformis forms a polymorphic cline with Pinus flexilis var. reflexa (5). Pinus strobus is a similar species from the east having 5 needles (4).

Ecology
Life history: tree; large seeds dispersed mainly by birds, especially the Mexican Jay (6).
Native/introduced: Native (3).
Photosynthetic pathway: C3
Phenology: Cones appear in ---something missing here????
Distribution: Prefers dry rocky slopes in high mountains (4); mostly grows on moist, cool sites (4) at xxx-xxx feet elevation. In Arizona it is found in xxxx Counties; also in Colorado, Texas pan handle, western New Mexico (3). Widespread in Mexico’s Sierra Madre Occidental and Oriental (4).

Uses
Seeds were eaten by natives of the southwestern U.S. (4).

References

1. Elias, Thomas S. 1987. The complete trees of North America; a field guide and natural history. NY: Gramercy Publ. Co.

2. Perry, Jesse P. 1991. The pines of Mexico and Central America. Portland, OR: Timber Press.

3. USDA, NRCS. 2007. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. <http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?keywordquery=Pinus+strobiformis&mode=sciname>

4. Earle, Christopher J. 1997-2006. Gymnosperm database. Last modified 2007.07.14 (http://www.conifers.org/pi/pin/strobiformis.htm).

5. Farjon, A., and B.T. Styles. 1997. Pinus (Pinaceae). Flora Neotropica Monograph 75. New York, NY: The New York Botanical Garden.

6. Conifer Specialist Group (1998). Pinus strobiformis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. As cited in.<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chihuahua_White_Pine>.

Pinus strobiformis Engelm. by Theresa Clark, Native Plants of Arizona 2007 Common names: Mexican white pine, southwestern white pine (1), pino blanco, pinabete (2) Family: Pinaceae (3) Synonymy: Pinus ayacahuite C.A. Ehrenb., Pinus flexilis James var. reflexa Engelm., Pinus reflexa Engelm. (3) Etymology: strobiformis: strobus is Latin for ‘gum yielding tree’; formis, is Latin for ‘in the form or shape of’; formis may refer to the tree’s similar appearance to Pinus strobus, an eastern species (4). Identification Growth form: Tree, 15-24(30) m tall; 50-90 cm DBH; trunk slender and straight; crown conic, rounded to irregular; branches: spreading-ascending; young twigs: slender, pale red-brown, puberulous or glabrous, occasionally glaucous; mature twigs: gray or gray-brown, smooth (4). Bark: young tree: smooth and silvery-gray; mature tree: furrowed into rough rectangular plates, dark grayish-brown (4). Needles: 5 per fascicle, 4-10 cm long; spreading to ascending-upcurved; straight, slightly twisted, pliant; dark green to blue-green; persisting 3-5 years (4). Female cones: pendent and symmetric; immature: lance-cylindric; open: broadly lance-cylindric, 15-25 cm, creamy brown to light yellow-brown; tip reflexed; matures in 2 years and then sheds its seeds and falls from the tree (4). Male cones: cylindric; ca. 6-10 mm; pale yellow-brown (4). Seeds: ovoid; body 10-13 mm, red-brown, essentially wingless (4). Similar species: Pinus strobiformis forms a polymorphic cline with Pinus flexilis var. reflexa (5). Pinus strobus is a similar species from the east having 5 needles (4). Ecology Life history: tree; large seeds dispersed mainly by birds, especially the Mexican Jay (6). Native/introduced: Native (3). Photosynthetic pathway: C3 Phenology: Cones appear in ---something missing here???? Distribution: Prefers dry rocky slopes in high mountains (4); mostly grows on moist, cool sites (4) at xxx-xxx feet elevation. In Arizona it is found in xxxx Counties; also in Colorado, Texas pan handle, western New Mexico (3). Widespread in Mexico’s Sierra Madre Occidental and Oriental (4). Uses Seeds were eaten by natives of the southwestern U.S. (4). References 1. Elias, Thomas S. 1987. The complete trees of North America; a field guide and natural history. NY: Gramercy Publ. Co. 2. Perry, Jesse P. 1991. The pines of Mexico and Central America. Portland, OR: Timber Press. 3. USDA, NRCS. 2007. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. <http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?keywordquery=Pinus+strobiformis&mode=sciname> 4. Earle, Christopher J. 1997-2006. Gymnosperm database. Last modified 2007.07.14 (http://www.conifers.org/pi/pin/strobiformis.htm). 5. Farjon, A., and B.T. Styles. 1997. Pinus (Pinaceae). Flora Neotropica Monograph 75. New York, NY: The New York Botanical Garden. 6. Conifer Specialist Group (1998). Pinus strobiformis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. As cited in.<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chihuahua_White_Pine>.