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. lambertiana Douglas

SUGAR PINE

Stem: trunk < 70 m, < 3.3 m wide; mature bark thick, dark purplish red, irregularly furrowed into plate-like ridges with deciduous platelets; mature crown flattened, with large, ± horizontal branches
Leaves 5 per bundle, 5–11 cm, generally stiff, sometimes twisted; sheath deciduous
Seed cone pendent, 15–63 cm, cylindric, yellow-brown; stalk 5–16 cm; scales not thickened near tips
Seed < wing
Ecology: Mixed-conifer, mixed-evergreen forests
Elevation: < 3200 m.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Southwestern California, w Great Basin Floristic Province
Distribution outside California: Oregon, n Baja California
Horticultural information: DRN: 1, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17 &IRR: 2, 3, 7.