Limber Pine Family:
Pine (Pinaceae) Grows to 65 feet, often with branches near the base of the trunk. Trunks can be 6 feet across and contorted. It becomes shrubby at timberline. It is a slow-growing and long-lived species that may take hundreds of years to reach maturity, attaining a lifespan of more than 1,000 years. Bark is gray and nearly smooth, with age it develops longitudinal reddish-brown plates with intervening cracks. Twigs are smooth and flexible. Dark bluish-green needles are up to 2¾" long growing in bunches of five and curving upwards. Flora of North America reference. |
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A tree produces both male and female cones. Male cones are pale red or yellow about ½" long. Female cones are cylindrical, 3 to 6 inches long without spines. |