Longleaf Pine

Pinus palustris is fire successional, with a deep taproot and a definite grass stage. It is a valued species for lumber and pulpwood and was once important for naval stores (e.g., turpentine, pine oil, tar, pitch). It is fast disappearing over much of its natural range, partly through overharvesting but especially because of difficulties in adapting it to current plantation and management techniques.

Longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris ) is the state tree of North Carolina.

Trees to 47m; trunk to 1.2m diam., straight; crown rounded. Bark orange-brown, with coarse, rectangular, scaly plates. Branches spreading-descending, upcurved at tips; twigs stout (to 2cm thick), orange-brown, aging darker brown, rough. Buds ovoid, silvery white, 3--4cm; scales narrow, margins fringed. Leaves (2)--3 per fascicle, spreading-recurved, persisting 2 years, 20--45cm ´ ca. 1.5mm, slightly twisted, lustrous yellow-green, all surfaces with fine stomatal lines, margins finely serrulate, apex abruptly acute to acuminate; sheath 2--2.5(--3)cm, base persistent. Pollen cones cylindric, 30--80mm, purplish. Seed cones maturing in 2 years, quickly shedding seeds and falling, solitary or paired toward branchlet tips, symmetric, lanceoloid before opening, ovoid-cylindric when open, 15--25cm, dull brown, sessile (rarely short-stalked); apophyses dull, slightly thickened, slightly raised, nearly rhombic, strongly cross-keeled; umbo central, broadly triangular, with short, stiff, reflexed prickle. Seeds truncate-obovoid; body ca. 10mm, pale brown, mottled darker; wing 30--40mm. 2 n =24.

Trees to 45 m tall; trunk to 1.2 m d.b.h. in native range; bark orange-brown, with coarse, oblong, scaly plates; crown rounded; branches spreading-descending, upcurved at tips; branchlets orange-brown, aging darker brown, stout, rough; winter buds silvery white, ovoid, 3-4 cm, scales fringed at margin. Needles spreading-recurved, (2 or)3 per bundle, yellow-green, slightly twisted, 20-45 cm × ca. 1.5 mm, stomatal lines present on all surfaces, base with persistent sheath 2-2.5(-3) cm, margin finely serrulate. Seed cones solitary or paired toward branchlets tips, sessile or rarely shortly pedunculate, dark brown, ovoid-cylindric when open, 15-25 cm, maturing in 2 years, then quickly shedding seeds and falling. Apophyses dull, nearly rhombic, slightly thickened and raised, strongly cross keeled; umbo broadly triangular, with a short, stiff, reflexed prickle. Seeds pale brown, mottled darker, truncate-obovoid, ca. 1 cm; wing 3-4 cm.

Dry sandy uplands, sandhills, and flatwoods; 0--700m; Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.C., S.C., Tex., Va.

Cultivated. Fujian, Jiangsu, Jiangxi (Lu Shan), Shandong (Qingdao Shi), Zhejiang [native to SE United States]

Pinus australis F. Michaux

Pinus australis F. Michaux; P. longifolia Salisbury.