| Pinus elliottii | |
|---|---|
| Slash Pine plantation | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Pinaceae |
| Genus: | Pinus |
| Subgenus: | Pinus |
| Species: | P. elliottii |
| Binomial name | |
| Pinus elliottii Engelm. |
|
| Varieties | |
|
Pinus elliottii var. elliotti |
|
Pinus elliottii, commonly known as the Slash Pine, is a pine native to the southeastern United States, from southern South Carolina west to southeastern Louisiana, and south to the Florida Keys.[2]
It is fast-growing, but not very long-lived by pine standards (to 200 years), and prefers humid climates and moist soil.
Slash Pine is named after the "slashes" – swampy ground overgrown with trees and bushes – that constitute its habitat.
This tree reaches heights of 18–30 m (59–98 ft) with a trunk diameter of 0.6–0.8 m (2.0–2.6 ft). The leaves are needle-like, very slender, in clusters of two or three, and are 18–24 cm (7.1–9.4 in) long.
The cones are glossy red-brown, 5–15 cm (2.0–5.9 in) in length with a short (2–3 mm/0.079–0.12 in), thick prickle on each scale. It is known for its conical shape.
It may be distinguished from the related Loblolly Pine by the somewhat longer, glossier needles and larger red-brown cones, and from Longleaf Pine by the shorter, more slender needles and smaller cones with less broad scales.
There are two varieties:
Unlike the typical variety of Slash Pine, seedlings of P. elliotti var. densa pass through a "grass stage", in a manner similar to Longleaf Pine.
The Slash Pine also is known as the Yellow Slash Pine, Swamp Pine, and Pitch Pine, although it should not be confused with the tree more usually called the Pitch Pine, Pinus rigida.
This tree is widely grown in plantations, and also is used in horticulture.
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Pinus_elliottii Pinus elliottii] at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Pinus elliottii at Wikispecies