PINACEAE

PINE FAMILY

James R. Griffin

Tree or shrub, monoecious, evergreen
Stem: young crown conic; twig not grooved, resinous, generally persistent
Leaves simple, generally alternate, sometimes in bundles or appearing ± 2-ranked, linear or awl-like; bases decurrent, sometimes woody, persistent several years
Pollen cone generally < 6 cm, not woody, deciduous
Seed cone generally woody; bracts, scales generally persistent; scale not peltate, fused to or free from subtending bract
Seeds 2, on upper side of scale base
Genera in family: 10 genera, 193 species: mostly n hemisphere; many of great commercial value, supplying > half of world's timber
Reference: [Price 1989 J Arnold Arbor 70:247–305]

PINUS

PINE

Stem: young crown conic, mature crown often rounded or flat; branches ± whorled in young plants; young bark smooth, mature bark furrowed; bud ± conic, generally resinous
Leaves generally 2.5–35 cm, generally sessile, in bundles of 1–5; bundles solitary in axils of alternate, awl-like bracts, each bundle enclosed at base in a sometimes deciduous sheath of bracts, generally persistent several seasons
Seed cones often whorled, generally maturing and opening 2nd season, sometimes persistent on stem; stalk 0 or < 16 cm; bract included, fused to scale, minute; scale tip reflexed and elongated 3–7 cm, or often with a rounded or angled, often prickled knob < 3 cm
Seed: coat hard, sometimes woody
Chromosomes: 2n=24 for all reports
Species in genus: 94 species: n hemisphere
Etymology: (Latin: pine)
Reference: [Millar & Critchfield 1988 Madroño 35:39–53]

Native

P. torreyana Carrière

TORREY PINE

Stem: trunk < 23 m (< 33 m In cultivation), < 1 m wide; mature crown open, rounded, with many large branches; mature bark with red-brown plates between irregular furrows
Leaves 5 per bundle, 15–26 cm, stiff, grayish yellow-green to blue-green; sheath persistent
Seed cone spreading to recurved, < 16 cm, widely ovate to spheric, ± symmetric, dark brown, opening slowly 3rd season, then persistent < 15 years; stalk < 4 cm; basal scale tip knobs < 2 cm, pyramidal, minutely prickly
Seed < 24 mm, > wing, sometimes remaining in cone < 13 years
Ecology: Sandstone, coastal scrub, chaparral
Elevation: < 150 m.
Bioregional distribution: s South Coast, n Channel Islands (Santa Rosa Island)
Synonyms: subsp. insularis Haller, Santa Rosa Island Torrey pine
Native plants probably total < 9000. Threatened by development
Horticultural information: In cultivated.