| Caribbean Pine Pinus caribaea |
|
|---|---|
| Pinus caribaea plantation at Amarkantak, India | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Pinaceae |
| Subfamily: | Pinoideae |
| Genus: | Pinus |
| Subgenus: | (Pinus) |
| Species: | P. (P.) caribaea |
| Binomial name | |
| Pinus (Pinus) caribaea Morelet |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Pinus hondurensis Sénéclauze (but see text) |
|
The Caribbean Pine, Pinus caribaea, is a hard pine native to Central America, Cuba, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It inhabits tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, which include both lowland savannas and montane forests. Wildfire plays a major role limiting the range of this species, as it has been reported that this tree regenerates quickly and aggressively, replacing latifoliate trees.[1] In zones not subject to periodic fires, the succession continues and a tropical forest thrives.
Contents |
The species has three distinct varieties, one very distinct and treated as a separate species by some authors:
While the species as a whole is not threatened, the typical variety of Cuba has markedly declined due to deforestation and is now considered a vulnerable species by the IUCN.