Pinus orizabensis

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Pinus orizabensis
Pinus orizabensis illustration.jpg
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. Strobus
Section: P. sect. Parrya
Subsection: P. subsect. Cembroides
Species:
P. orizabensis
Binomial name
Pinus orizabensis
(D.K.Bailey) D.K.Bailey & F.G.Hawksworth
Synonyms
  • P. cembroides subsp. orizabensisD.K.Bailey

Pinus orizabensis, the Orizaba pinyon, is a pine in the pinyon pine group, endemic to central Mexico. It is considered also as a sub-species of Pinus cembroides which is classified as Pinus cembroides subsp. orizabensis D.K.Bailey. It has larger seeds than the type.

Contents

The range is localised, confined to a small area in the eastern Eje Volcánico Transversal range (Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt), in the states of Puebla and Veracruz. It occurs at high altitudes, mostly from 2,200–2,800 metres (7,200–9,200 ft), in a cooler, moister climate than the other pinyon pines.

Description

It is a small to medium-size tree, reaching 8–10 metres (26–33 ft) tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 50 cm. The bark is dark brown, thick and deeply fissured at the base of the trunk. The leaves ('needles') are in mixed fascicles of three and four, slender, 3–6 cm long, and deep green to blue-green, with stomata confined to a bright white band on the inner surfaces.

Cones

The cones are globose to ovoid, 4–7 cm long and 3–5 cm broad when closed, green at first, ripening yellow-brown when 16–18 months old, with only a small number of thin scales, typically 6-18 fertile scales. The cones open to 5–7 cm broad when mature, holding the seeds on the scales after opening.

The seeds are 12–15 mm long, with a thick shell, a pink endosperm, and a vestigial 2 mm wing; they are dispersed by the Mexican jay, which plucks the seeds out of the open cones. The jay, which uses the seeds as a major food resource, stores many of the seeds for later use, and some of these stored seeds are not used and are able to grow into new trees.

History

Pinus orizabensis is the most recent pinyon pine to be described, discovered by Dana K. Bailey in 1983 when examining an unusual pinyon cultivated at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; it was found to match wild specimens from the Pico de Orizaba. At first it was described as a subspecies of Mexican pinyon, but further research by Bailey & Hawksworth and others has shown that it is better treated as a distinct species. Some botanists still include it in Mexican pinyon though, despite their occurring together in some sites without evidence of hybridisation. Orizaba pinyon shows better adaptation to rainy temperate climate like England than Pinus cembroides which grows in dryer habitats.

Pinus orizabensis is most closely allied to Johann's pinyon and Potosi pinyon, with which it shares the leaf structure with the stomata confined to the inner faces; it differs from these in the larger cones and seeds, and from the latter in fewer needles per fascicle (3-4 vs 5). Like these two, the white-glaucous inner surfaces of the needles make it a very attractive small tree, suitable for parks and large gardens.

The edible (pine nut) seeds are collected in Mexico to a small extent.

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<i>Pinus cembroides</i> Species of conifer

Pinus cembroides, also known as pinyon pine, Mexican pinyon, Mexican nut pine, and Mexican stone pine, is a pine in the pinyon pine group, native to western North America. It grows in areas with low levels of rainfall and its range extends southwards from Arizona, Texas and New Mexico in the United States into Mexico. It typically grows at altitudes between 1,600 and 2,400 metres. It is a small pine growing to about 20 m (66 ft) with a trunk diameter of up to 50 cm (20 in). The seeds are large and form part of the diet of the Mexican jay and Abert's squirrel. They are also collected for human consumption, being the most widely used pine nut in Mexico. This is a common pine with a wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<i>Pinus johannis</i> Species of conifer

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<i>Pinus culminicola</i> Species of conifer

Pinus culminicola, commonly known as Potosí pinyon or Potosí Piñón, is a pine in the pinyon pine group, native and endemic to northeast Mexico. The range is highly localised, confined to a small area of high summits in the northern Sierra Madre Oriental in Coahuila and Nuevo León, and only abundant on the highest peak, Cerro Potosí. It occurs at very high altitudes, from 3000–3700 m, in cool, moist subalpine climate conditions.

<i>Pinus remota</i> Species of conifer

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

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<i>Pinus kesiya</i> Species of conifer

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

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

Pinus quadrifolia, the Parry pinyon, is a pine in the pinyon pine group native to southernmost California in the United States and northern Baja California in Mexico, from 33° 30' N south to 30° 30' N. The Parry pinyon has a lifespan of around 200 to 500 years. It is usually found in rocky areas that often have thin soil. It occurs at moderate altitudes from 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) to 1,800 metres (5,900 ft), rarely as low as 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) and as high as 2,500 metres (8,200 ft). It is scarce and often scattered in this region, forming open woodlands, usually mixed with junipers. Other common names include nut pine and fourleaf pinyon pine.

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

Pinus aristata, the Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine, is a long-living species of bristlecone pine tree native to the United States. It appears in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and northern New Mexico, with isolated populations in the San Francisco Peaks in Arizona and the Kaibab National Forest north of the Grand Canyon. It is usually found at very high altitudes, from 7,000–13,000 feet (2,100–4,000 m), in cold, dry subalpine climate conditions, often at the tree line, although it also forms extensive closed-canopy stands at somewhat lower elevations.

<i>Pinus hartwegii</i> Species of conifer

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<i>Pinus durangensis</i> Species of conifer

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<i>Pinus maximartinezii</i> Species of conifer

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<i>Pinus massoniana</i> Species of conifer

Pinus massoniana is a species of pine, native to Taiwan, a wide area of central and southern China, and northern Vietnam.

<i>Pinus herrerae</i> Species of conifer

Pinus herrerae, Herrera's pine, is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae. It is found only in Mexico. It is a straight trunked tree, 30–35 m tall and 75–100 cm dbh.

<i>Pinus nelsonii</i> Species of conifer

Pinus nelsonii, Nelson's pinyon, is a species of pine native to the mountains of northeastern Mexico, in Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí and Tamaulipas at 1,800–3,200 m altitude.

References

  1. Farjon, A. (2013). "Pinus cembroides subsp. orizabensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T34186A2849840. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T34186A2849840.en . Retrieved 24 October 2020.