Chihuahua White Pine

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Chihuahua White Pine

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Pinaceae
Genus:	Pinus
Subgenus:	Strobus
Species:	P. strobiformis

Binomial name

Pinus strobiformis
Engelm.

The Chihuahua White Pine (Pinus strobiformis; family Pinaceae) is a species of pine tree that occurs in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains of Western Mexico, from a short distance south of the U.S. border south through Chihuahua and Durango to Jalisco. It is typically a high-elevation pine, often growing mixed with several other pine species. In favourable conditions, it makes a tree to 30 m, rarely 40 m tall.

Chihuahua White Pine is a member of the white pine group, Pinus subgenus Strobus, and like all members of that group, the leaves ('needles') are in fascicles (bundles) of five, with a deciduous sheath. The needles are finely serrated, and 8-14 cm long. The cones are very large, 16-50 cm long and 9-11 cm broad, and have scales with a very characteristic prolonged and often recurved or S-shaped apex. The seeds are large, and with a very short wing; they are dispersed mainly by birds, particularly the Mexican Jay.

Chihuahua White Pine has frequently been confused with the Arizona and New Mexico populations of Limber Pine, Pinus flexilis var. reflexa or Pinus reflexa. These latter, often known in English as Southwestern White Pine, are often listed as Pinus strobiformis, but differ from true Pinus strobiformis in having shorter needles, 6-11 cm long, which are only slightly serrated towards the tips of the needles rather than serrated along the full length; and smaller, narrower cones, typically 10-20 cm long and 6-8 cm broad, the cone scales not having a very prolonged apex; the seeds are also slightly smaller. It is possible that Pinus reflexa is a natural hybrid between Pinus flexilis and Pinus strobiformis. Type localities of the taxa are: