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. muricata D. Don

BISHOP PINE

Stem: trunk < 51 m, < 1.2 m wide; bark brown, with rough ridges; mature crown variable, often with large branches
Leaves generally 2 per bundle, generally 5–15 cm, sometimes twisted, generally green
Seed cones generally whorled, 5–9.7 cm, ovoid, brown, weathering gray, generally closed, persistent many years, either ± perpendicular to stem, symmetric, with scale tip knobs < 3 mm and prickled, or reflexed, asymmetric, with basal and middle scale tip knobs < 15 mm, angled, prickled; stalk 0–2 cm
Ecology: Redwood forest, n coastal coniferous forest, closed-cone-pine forest, oak woodland, chaparral
Elevation: < 300 m.
Bioregional distribution: North Coast, Central Coast, n San Francisco Bay Area, n Channel Islands
Distribution outside California: n Baja California, Cedros Island
Synonyms: P. remorata H. Mason, Santa Cruz Island pine
Horticultural information: 5, 15, 16, 17, 24 &IRR: 14, 22, 23.