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limber pine, pin blanc de l'ouest

Apache pine, Arizona longleaf pine, pino real

Habit Trees to 26m; trunk to 2m diam., straight to contorted; crown conic, becoming rounded. Trees to 35m; trunk to 0.6m diam., straight; crown irregularly rounded, rather thin.
Bark

gray, nearly smooth, cross-checked in age into scaly plates and ridges.

dark brown, at maturity deeply furrowed, ridges becoming yellowish, of narrow, elongate, scaly plates.

Branches

spreading to ascending, often persistent to trunk base;

twigs pale red-brown, puberulous (rarely glabrous), slightly resinous, aging gray, smooth.

straight to ascending;

twigs stout (1–2cm thick), pale gray-brown, aging darker brown, rough.

Buds

ovoid, light red-brown, 0.9–1cm, resinous;

lower scales ciliolate along margins.

ovoid-conic, to 2cm, resinous;

scale margins pale fringed.

Leaves

5 per fascicle, spreading to upcurved and ascending, persisting 5–6 years, 3–7cm × 1–1.5mm, pliant, dark green, abaxial surface with less conspicuous stomatal bands than adaxial surfaces, adaxial surfaces with strong, pale stomatal bands, margins finely serrulate, apex conic-acute to acuminate;

sheath 1–1.5(–2)cm, shed early.

3(–5) per fascicle, spreading-ascending, often drooping, forming a brush at twig tips, persisting 2 years, (20–)25–45cm × 2mm, dull green, all surfaces with fine stomatal lines, margins coarsely serrulate, apex conic-subulate;

sheath 3–4cm, base persistent.

Pollen cones

broadly ellipsoid-cylindric, ca. 15mm, pale red or yellow.

cylindric, ca. 25mm, yellow to yellow-brown.

Seed(s)

cones maturing in 2 years, shedding seeds and falling soon thereafter, spreading, symmetric, lance-ovoid before opening, cylindro-ovoid when open, 7–15cm, straw-colored, resinous, sessile to short-stalked, apophyses much thickened, strongly cross-keeled, umbo terminal, depressed.

cones maturing in 2 years and shedding seeds soon thereafter, not persistent, terminal, sometimes curved, often asymmetric, lance-ovoid before opening, ovoid when open, 11–14cm, light dull brown, nearly sessile or short-stalked;

apophyses rhombic, somewhat to quite elongate, strongly raised toward outer cone base, sometimes curved, strongly cross-keeled, narrowed to thick, curved, broadly triangular-based umbo, this often producing outcurved claw.

2n

=24.

=24.

Pinus flexilis

Pinus engelmannii

Habitat High montane forests, often at timberline High and dry mountain ranges, valleys, and plateaus
Elevation (1000–)1500–3600m ((3300–)4900–11800ft) 1500–2500m (4900–8200ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; OR; SD; UT; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Pinus flexilis, much branched with a strongly tapering trunk, is little utilized because of its form and relative inaccessibility. It reportedly forms intermediates with P. strobiformis where the two overlap. The fresh-cut wood has the odor of turpentine.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

In general appearance Pinus engelmannii much resembles P. palustris with its short-persistent, long leaves (but in this species drooping) and in its tendency to form a grass stage. It has a deep taproot as do P. palustris and P. ponderosa.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 2. FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Pinaceae > Pinus Pinaceae > Pinus
Sibling taxa
P. albicaulis, P. aristata, P. attenuata, P. balfouriana, P. banksiana, P. cembroides, P. clausa, P. contorta, P. coulteri, P. echinata, P. edulis, P. elliottii, P. engelmannii, P. glabra, P. jeffreyi, P. lambertiana, P. leiophylla, P. longaeva, P. monophylla, P. monticola, P. muricata, P. palustris, P. ponderosa, P. pungens, P. quadrifolia, P. radiata, P. resinosa, P. rigida, P. sabiniana, P. serotina, P. strobiformis, P. strobus, P. sylvestris, P. taeda, P. torreyana, P. virginiana, P. washoensis
P. albicaulis, P. aristata, P. attenuata, P. balfouriana, P. banksiana, P. cembroides, P. clausa, P. contorta, P. coulteri, P. echinata, P. edulis, P. elliottii, P. flexilis, P. glabra, P. jeffreyi, P. lambertiana, P. leiophylla, P. longaeva, P. monophylla, P. monticola, P. muricata, P. palustris, P. ponderosa, P. pungens, P. quadrifolia, P. radiata, P. resinosa, P. rigida, P. sabiniana, P. serotina, P. strobiformis, P. strobus, P. sylvestris, P. taeda, P. torreyana, P. virginiana, P. washoensis
Synonyms Apinus flexilis P. macrophylla, P. apacheca, P. latifolia
Name authority E. James: Account Exped. Pittsburgh 2: 27, 35. (1823) Carrière
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