Qiaojia Pine

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Qiaojia Pine

Scientific classification

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

Binomial name

Pinus squamata
X.W. Li

Qiaojia Pine (Pinus squamata; zh: 巧家五针松) is a pine native to a single locality consisting of about 20 trees in northeast Yunnan, China, at about 2200 m elevation. It was only discovered in 1991 and is critically endangered. Its mature height is unknown because none of the living trees are yet mature, but they could possibly grow to 30 m or greater. Its habitat is open secondary woodland, scrub, and grassland mixed with Yunnan Pine.

Qiaojia Pine has a conic crown with flaky pale gray-green bark becoming dark brown with age, similar to the closely related Lacebark Pine. The shoots are reddish to greenish brown and may be pubescent or glabrous. The leaves are drooping in fascicles of 4 or 5, 9-17 cm long by 0.8 mm wide, glossy green above with white stomatal bands on the underside. The cones are conic to ovoid, reddish brown, and 9 cm long by 6 cm broad when open. They open at maturity in September to October of the second year to release the oblong black seeds, 4-5 mm long with a 16 mm wing.

Qiaojia Pine was discovered in April 1991 by Pangzhao J.Q. It was studied later that year and described the following year by Li Xiang-Wang. It shows similarities to Rzedowski's Pinyon and some other pinyon pines.