OregonFlora: Pinus longaeva vs. Pinus ponderosa

	Pinus longaeva	Pinus ponderosa
		ponderosa pine
Habit		Trees to 70 m tall; mature crown conic to rounded.
Buds		ovoid, light brown to reddish brown, resinous.
Leaves		in clusters of 3; straight, slightly twisted, 12–25 cm × 1.5–2 mm; grayish green to deep green; margins finely serrulate; all surfaces with fine stomatal lines; apex acute; sheaths persistent.
Pollen cones		lance-cylindrical, 2–3.5 cm long, yellow to reddish brown.
Seeds		ovoid, 6–9 mm long, brown with black spots; wings about 4 times as long as body.
Trunks		to 2.5 m in diameter; straight; bark light yellow-brown to reddish brown, deeply furrowed, forming large irregular scaly plates; branches descending to ascending; twigs orange-brown, roughened by bud scars.
Seed cones		oblong, slightly asymmetric, 5–18 cm long, brown to reddish brown; horizontal to pendent; stalks less than 2 cm long, maturing in 2 years, opening at maturity; umbos central, raised; prickles straight.

	Pinus longaeva	Pinus ponderosa
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion		Western North America. 3–5 varieties. 2 varieties treated in Flora. The number of, and characteristics within, varieties or subspecies of Pinus ponderosa varies depending on the authority. Conservatively, only two varieties of P. ponderosa are present in Oregon. Our P. ponderosa varieties are mainly distinguished from other varieties by the number of needles in their clusters (3), as opposed to varieties scopulorum and arizonica (2–3 and 4–5, respectively).
Source		Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 123 Stephen Meyers
Sibling taxa	P. albicaulis, P. attenuata, P. attenuata x Pinus radiata, P. balfouriana, P. contorta, P. flexilis, P. jeffreyi, P. lambertiana, P. monophylla, P. monticola, P. muricata, P. pinaster, P. ponderosa, P. sabiniana, P. sylvestris	P. albicaulis, P. attenuata, P. attenuata x Pinus radiata, P. balfouriana, P. contorta, P. flexilis, P. jeffreyi, P. lambertiana, P. monophylla, P. monticola, P. muricata, P. pinaster, P. sabiniana, P. sylvestris
Subordinate taxa		P. ponderosa var. benthamiana, P. ponderosa var. ponderosa
Web links	Local floras: CA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Pinus longaeva

Pinus ponderosa

ponderosa pine

Habit

Trees to 70 m tall; mature crown conic to rounded.

Buds

ovoid, light brown to reddish brown, resinous.

Leaves

in clusters of 3; straight, slightly twisted, 12–25 cm × 1.5–2 mm; grayish green to deep green;

margins finely serrulate; all surfaces with fine stomatal lines;

apex acute;

sheaths persistent.

Pollen cones

lance-cylindrical, 2–3.5 cm long, yellow to reddish brown.

Seeds

ovoid, 6–9 mm long, brown with black spots;

wings about 4 times as long as body.

Trunks

to 2.5 m in diameter; straight;

bark light yellow-brown to reddish brown, deeply furrowed, forming large irregular scaly plates;

branches descending to ascending;

twigs orange-brown, roughened by bud scars.

Seed cones

oblong, slightly asymmetric, 5–18 cm long, brown to reddish brown; horizontal to pendent;

stalks less than 2 cm long, maturing in 2 years, opening at maturity;

umbos central, raised;

prickles straight.

Pinus longaeva

Pinus ponderosa

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Western North America. 3–5 varieties. 2 varieties treated in Flora.

The number of, and characteristics within, varieties or subspecies of Pinus ponderosa varies depending on the authority. Conservatively, only two varieties of P. ponderosa are present in Oregon. Our P. ponderosa varieties are mainly distinguished from other varieties by the number of needles in their clusters (3), as opposed to varieties scopulorum and arizonica (2–3 and 4–5, respectively).

Source

Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 123
Stephen Meyers

Sibling taxa