Coulter pine

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Coulter pine
Pinus coulteri
Culter pine cone.jpg
A Pinus coulteri seed cone at Mount Wilson, California
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnospermae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Genus: Pinus
Subgenus: P. subg. Pinus
Section: P. sect. Trifoliae
Subsection: P. subsect. Ponderosae
Species:
P. coulteri
Binomial name
Pinus coulteri
Pinus coulteri range map 1.png
Natural range

Coulter pine (Pinus coulteri), or big-cone pine, is a conifer in the genus Pinus of the family Pinaceae. Coulter pine is an evergreen conifer that lives up to 100 years of age. [2] It is a native of the coastal mountains of Southern California in the United States and northern Baja California in Mexico, occurring in mediterranean climates, where winter rains are infrequent, and the summer is dry with occasional summer thunderstorms. [3] Isolated groves are found as far north as Clearlake, California on the flanks of Mt. Konocti and Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve. Although geographically isolated, these Coulter pine populations were very similar in all of three morphological characteristics studies. Oleoresins (volatile portion) were also similar. [4]

Contents

While the species has a limited range in the wild, the Coulter pine is a popular ornamental tree and is grown in many countries.

Coulter pine (Pinus coulteri) is named after Thomas Coulter, an Irish botanist and physician. The Coulter pine produces some of the heaviest cones of any pine tree, up to 5 kg (11 lb) and among conifers is exceeded only by the cones of Araucaria bidwillii .

Description

Pinus coulteri is a substantial coniferous evergreen tree in the genus Pinus . The size ranges from 10–24 m (33–79 ft) tall, [5] and a trunk diameter up to 1 m (3.3 ft). The trunk is vertical and branches horizontal to upcurved. Bark dark gray-brown to near black, deeply furrowed, with long, scaly, irregularly anastomosing, rounded ridges. [6] The crown is pyramidal and may be dense or open, depending upon the site. [2] The leaves are needle-like, in bundles of three, glaucous gray-green, 15–30 cm (5.9–11.8 in) long and stout, 2 mm (0.079 in) thick.[ citation needed ]

The outstanding characteristic of this tree is the large, spiny cones which are 20–40 cm (7.9–15.7 in) long (occasionally as much as twenty inches (51 centimeters) length has been observed), [7] 23 centimeters (nine inches) in width, [8] and weigh 2–5 kg (4.4–11.0 lb) when fresh. Each segment, or "scale", of the cone is tipped with a talon-like hook. Coulter pines produce the largest cones of any pine tree species and people are advised to wear hardhats when working in Coulter pine groves, although the slender cones of the sugar pine are longer. The large size of the cones, combined with the claw-like scales, has earned them the nickname "widowmakers" among locals.[ citation needed ]Seed cones maturing in 2 years, gradually shedding seeds thereafter and moderately persistent, massive, heavy, drooping, asymmetric at base, narrowly ovoid before opening, ovoid-cylindric when open, 20-35 cm, pale yellow-brown, resinous, stalks to 3cm; apophyses transverse-rhombic, strongly and sharply cross-keeled, elongate, curved, continuous with umbos to form long, upcurved claws 2.5-3 cm. Seeds obovoid; body 15-22 mm, dark brown; wing to 25 mm. 2n=24". [6]

Taxonomy

The name Pinus coulteri comes from Latin for pine, and coulteri comes from its discoverer Thomas Coulter (1793–1843), an Irish botanist and physician. [9] Pinus coulteri was discovered by Dr. Coulter on the mountains of Santa Lucia, near the Mission of San Antonio, in latitude 36°, within sight of the sea and at an elevation of from 3000 to 4000 feet above its level. It was growing intermingled with Pinus Lambertiana. [10]

This is a member of subsection Ponderosae, and is generally recognized as closely related (morphologically, geographically, and genetically) to Pinus sabiniana, P. torreyana, and P. jeffreyi; the three taxa form group Sabinianae Loudon 1838 (Pinus jeffreyi, though morphologically a bit different, is known to hybridize with P. coulteri, and molecular analysis clearly places it in the Sabinianae). [11] P. coulteri, alone in the Sabinianae, also shares a chlorplast haplotype with P. arizonica of the northern Sierra Madre. It seems likely that the species arose through a hybridization event involving two members of subsection Ponderosae. [11]

Distribution and Habitats

An introduction to the plant communities of the Santa Ana and San Jacinto Mountains. [12] Coulter pine is most frequent on steep south-facing slopes and ridges. [13] [14] [15] Soils may be poor to fertile, and are typically dry. Coulter pine is an indicator of serpentine soils, but also occurs on a variety of other substrates.  Soils range from loamy to gravelly or rocky in texture. [15] [16] [17] Coulter pine occurs between 500 to 7,000 feet (150-2,120 m) elevation. [18] [19]

Coulter pine is the dominant species in the following published classifications: Terrestrial natural communities of California, [15] Vegetation types of the San Bernadino Mountains, [20] Vegetation of the San Bernadino Mountains, [3] A vegetation classification system applied to southern California, [21] Mixed evergreen forest, [22] Vascular plant communities of California, [18] Montane and subalpine forests of the Transverse and Peninsular ranges. [23]

Ecology

The Coulter pine is closely related to the foothill pine, Pinus sabiniana. It is more distantly related to Jeffrey pine with which it shares habitats, and the ponderosa pine. [24] Coulter pines tend to grow in drier environments than ponderosa and Jeffery pines.[ citation needed ]

This erect, medium-sized pine prefers south-facing slopes between 200–2,300 m (660–7,550 ft) elevation, and tolerates dry rocky soil. Pinus coulteri most often appears in mixed forests. The Coulter pine occurs in a number of forest plant associations; for example, at higher elevations forestation of the San Jacinto Mountains Coulter Pine is co-dominant with the California black oak. [25] Woodpeckers often forage on the species, and peel the bark to access insects underneath. [26]

Uses

Wildlife, especially squirrels, gather the large seeds. They were also once eaten by Native Americans. [27]

The wood is weak and soft, so that the species is little used other than for firewood.[ citation needed ]

Pinus coulteri is cultivated as an ornamental tree, planted in parks and large gardens, and drought tolerant landscaping. The Coulter pine has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [28]

Related Research Articles

<i>Pinus sabiniana</i> Pine tree found in North America

Pinus sabiniana, with vernacular names including towani pine, foothill pine, gray pine, bull pine, and digger pine, is a pine endemic to California in the United States. Some sources discourage using the name "digger pine," considering it pejorative.

<i>Pinus jeffreyi</i> Pine tree found in North America

Pinus jeffreyi, also known as Jeffrey pine, Jeffrey's pine, yellow pine and black pine, is a North American pine tree. It is mainly found in California, but also in the westernmost part of Nevada, southwestern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It is named in honor of its botanist documenter John Jeffrey.

<i>Pinus contorta</i> Species of plant

Pinus contorta, with the common names lodgepole pine and shore pine, and also known as twisted pine, and contorta pine, is a common tree in western North America. It is common near the ocean shore and in dry montane forests to the subalpine, but is rare in lowland rain forests. Like all pines, it is an evergreen conifer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California chaparral and woodlands</span> Ecoregion in the western United States and Mexico

The California chaparral and woodlands is a terrestrial ecoregion of southwestern Oregon, northern, central, and southern California and northwestern Baja California (Mexico), located on the west coast of North America. It is an ecoregion of the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome, and part of the Nearctic realm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peninsular Ranges</span> Group of mountain ranges in Southern California and northern Mexico

The Peninsular Ranges are a group of mountain ranges that stretch 1,500 km (930 mi) from Southern California to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Pacific Coast Ranges, which run along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico. Elevations range from 150 to 3,300 m.

<i>Pinus ponderosa</i> Species of large pine tree in North America

Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine, is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the most widely distributed pine species in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern California coastal forests</span> Temperate coniferous forests ecoregion in northern California and southwestern Oregon

The Northern California coastal forests are a temperate coniferous forests ecoregion of coastal Northern California and southwestern Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California mixed evergreen forest</span> Plant community in California and Oregon, US

California mixed evergreen forest is a plant community found in the mountain ranges of California and southwestern Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California oak woodland</span> Plant community found in the western United States and Mexico

California oak woodland is a plant community found throughout the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of California in the United States and northwestern Baja California in Mexico. Oak woodland is widespread at lower elevations in coastal California; in interior valleys of the Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges and Peninsular Ranges; and in a ring around the California Central Valley grasslands. The dominant trees are oaks, interspersed with other broadleaf and coniferous trees, with an understory of grasses, herbs, geophytes, and California native plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Closed-cone conifer forest</span>

A Closed-cone conifer forest or woodland is a plant community occurring in coastal California and several offshore islands. The forests typically have a single-aged single-species conifer overstory with dense ladder fuels. Overstory species include coulter pine, monterey pine, bishop pine, shore pine, and several endemic cypresses, species which generally rely on fire to open their cones and release seeds. Closed-cone forests often grow in low nutrient and/or stressed soils, which can lead to slow growth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra Nevada subalpine zone</span> Biotic zone in California, United States

The Sierra Nevada subalpine zone refers to a biotic zone below treeline in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, United States. This subalpine zone is positioned between the upper montane zone at its lower limit, and tree line at its upper limit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocky Mountain ponderosa pine forest</span>

The Rocky Mountain ponderosa pine forest is a plant community at an elevation of 2,000–2,700 metres (6,600–8,900 ft) in the Rocky Mountains. It is an important temperate coniferous forest ecoregion, including some endemic wildlife and grass species that are only found in this ponderosa pine habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klamath Mountains (ecoregion)</span> Temperate coniferous forests ecoregion in northern California and southwestern Oregon

The Klamath Mountains ecoregion of Oregon and California lies inland and north of the Coast Range ecoregion, extending from the Umpqua River in the north to the Sacramento Valley in the south. It encompasses the highly dissected ridges, foothills, and valleys of the Klamath and Siskiyou Mountains. It corresponds to the Level III ecoregion designated by the Environmental Protection Agency and to the Klamath-Siskiyou forests ecoregion designated by the World Wide Fund for Nature.

The Mediterranean California lower montane black oak–conifer forest is a major forest association and ecosystem of the California mixed evergreen forest bioregion in certain mountain ranges in California and southern Oregon in the Western United States; and Baja California in northwest Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California montane chaparral and woodlands</span> Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregion in California, United States

The California montane chaparral and woodlands is an ecoregion defined by the World Wildlife Fund, spanning 7,900 square miles (20,000 km2) of mountains in the Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and Coast Ranges of southern and central California. The ecoregion is part of the larger California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion, and belongs to the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California interior chaparral and woodlands</span> Forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregion in California, United States

The California interior chaparral and woodlands ecoregion covers 24,900 square miles (64,000 km2) in an elliptical ring around the California Central Valley. It occurs on hills and mountains ranging from 300 feet (91 m) to 3,000 feet (910 m). It is part of the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome, with cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Temperatures within the coast can range from 53° to 65 °F and 32° to 60 °F within the mountains. Many plant and animal species in this ecoregion are adapted to periodic fire.

Mixed coniferous forest is a vegetation type dominated by a mixture of broadleaf trees and conifers. It is generally located in mountains, below the upper montane vegetation type.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper montane forest</span>

The upper montane forest is a vegetation type generally found above the mixed coniferous forest and below the subalpine forest vegetation types. Most of what grows in upper montane forests are conifers, because of the short growing season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flora of the Colorado Desert</span>

Flora of the Colorado Desert, located in Southern California. The Colorado Desert is a sub-region in the Sonoran Desert ecoregion of southwestern North America. It is also known as the Low Desert, in contrast to the higher elevation Mojave Desert or High Desert, to its north.

The flora of the Colorado Plateau and Canyonlands region is generally characterized by plant adaptations to the arid conditions of the region, and a wide variation of plant communities from wide variations in elevation and soil types. The elevation variation results in temperature variation. Differing soil types are largely due to erosion of different sedimentary layers in the canyons, from the layers at lowest point of canyons of the Colorado River network, to the top layers of the plateau. Exceptions to flora adapted to aridity occur in lowland riparian areas, at springs, and in hanging gardens.

References

  1. ↑ Farjon 2013.
  2. 1 2 Horton, Jerome S. 1949. Trees and shrubs for erosion control of southern California mountains. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, California [Pacific Southwest] Forest and Range Experiment Station; California Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry. 72 p.  [10689]
  3. 1 2 Minnich, Richard A. 1976. Vegetation of the San Bernardino Mountains. In: Latting, June, ed. Symposium proceedings: plant communities of southern California; 1974 May 4; Fullerton, CA. Special Publication No.2. Berkeley, CA: California Native Plant Society: 99-124.  [4232]
  4. ↑ St. John, Harold. 1973. List and summary of the flowering plants in the Hawaiian islands. Hong Kong: Cathay Press Limited. 519 p.  [25354]
  5. ↑ Earle 2018.
  6. 1 2 Kral, R. 1993. Pinus. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (eds.): Flora of North America North of Mexico, Vol. 2. Oxford University Press.
  7. ↑ Lanner, Ronald M. (1999). Conifers of California. Los Olivos, California: Cachuma Press. pp. 73–74.
  8. ↑ Gardener's Chronicle Volume 23 (third series)(March 28, 1885) Page 415
  9. ↑ Trees of Stanford and Environs, by Ronald Bracewell, published 2005.
  10. ↑ Don, David (July 1836). "XXIV. Descriptions of Five new Species of the Genus Pinus, discovered by Dr. Coulterin California". Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. 17 (3): 439–444. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.1834.tb00035.x. ISSN   1945-9432.
  11. 1 2 Willyard, Ann; Cronn, Richard; Liston, Aaron (August 2009). "Reticulate evolution and incomplete lineage sorting among the ponderosa pines". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 52 (2): 498–511. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.02.011. ISSN   1055-7903. PMID   19249377.
  12. ↑ Schoenherr, Allan A. (1990). Endangered plant communities of Southern California : proceedings of the 15th annual symposium /. Claremont, CA: Southern California Botanists, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.120758.
  13. ↑ Barbour, Michael G. 1988. Californian upland forests and woodlands. In: Barbour, Michael G.; Billings, William Dwight, eds. North American terrestrial vegetation. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press:131-164.  [13880]
  14. ↑ Vogl, Richard J. 1976. An introduction to the plant communities of the Santa Ana and San Jacinto Mountains. In: Latting, June, ed. Symposium proceedings: plant communities of southern California; 1974 May 4; Fullerton, CA. Special Publication No. 2. Berkeley, CA: California Native Plant Society: 77-98.  [4230]
  15. 1 2 3 Holland, Robert F. 1986. Preliminary descriptions of the terrestrial natural communities of California. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Fish and Game. 156 p.  [12756]
  16. ↑ Krochmal, Arnold; Krochmal, Connie. 1982. Uncultivated nuts of the United States. Agriculture Information Bulletin 450. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 89 p.  [1377]
  17. ↑ Kruckeberg, Arthur R. (1996-12-31). Kruckeberg, Arthur R. (ed.). California Serpentines. University of California Press. doi:10.1525/9780520915725. ISBN   978-0-520-91572-5.
  18. 1 2 Thorne, Robert F. 1976. The vascular plant communities of California. In: Latting, June, ed. Symposium proceedings: plant communities of southern California; 1974 May 4; Fullerton, CA. Special Publication No. 2. Berkeley, CA: California Native Plant Society: 1-31.  [3289]
  19. ↑ Zobel, Bruce. 1953. Geographic range and intraspecific variation of Coulter pine. Madrono. 11(8): 285-316.  [21797]
  20. ↑ Horton, Jerome S. (1960). Vegetation types of the San Bernardino Mountains /. Berkeley, Calif.: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.70233.
  21. ↑ Paysen, Timothy E.; Derby, Jeanine A.; Black, Hugh; Bleich, Vernon C.; Mincks, John W. (1980). A vegetation classification system applied to southern California (Report). Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. doi:10.2737/psw-gtr-45.
  22. ↑ Sawyer, John O.; Thornburgh, Dale A.; Griffin, James R. 1977. Mixed evergreen forest. In: Barbour, Michael G.; Major, Jack, eds. Terrestrial vegetation of California. New York: John Wiley and Sons: 359-381. [7218]
  23. ↑ Thorne, Robert F. 1977. Montane and subalpine forests of the Transverse and Peninsular ranges. In: Barbour, Michael G.; Major, Jack, eds. Terrestrial vegetation of California. New York: John Wiley and Sons: 537-557.  [7214]
  24. ↑ Cope 1993.
  25. ↑ Hogan 2008.
  26. ↑ NWF Field Guide.
  27. ↑ Whitney, Stephen (1985). Western Forests (The Audubon Society Nature Guides). New York: Knopf. p.  410. ISBN   0-394-73127-1.
  28. ↑ RHS Gardening.

Bibliography

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