| Two Leaf Pinyon Pine, Pinus edulis. Near Jacob's Lake Arizona. March 6, 2007. |
|---|
| Pinus edulis Needles. | Two Leaf Pinyon Pine Needles. Two In A Bundle. |
|---|---|
| Pinus edulis Cone. | Two Leaf Pinyon Pine Cone. With Pinyon Nut. |
Two Leaf Pinyon Pine.
We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on this page. We share images and information with Wikipedia. Pinyon Pines are perennia, evergreen trees that are monecious, with seed-bearing (female, "pistillate") and pollen bearing (male, "staminate") structures that are separate, but on each tree. Pinyons are a soft, dark green in color. Throughout their adult life Pinyons have a rounded symmetrical shape, but after many decades most Pinyons lose their lower branches. They grow 30 to 45 feet tall with trunks, up to three feet in diameter, with a handsome 30 foot crown spread. Pinyons live long lives, perhaps 800 years . Pinyon Pine nuts take about twenty-six months to mature: cone buds are formed in the first summer; then a small cone forms, opens, is pollinated, and closes in the second summer; this cone reopens in the third summer allowing the pollen inside to fertilize the eggs. Growth is then rapid and by the end of the third summer the green, sappy, two inch seed cone matures, dries to light brown, and opens. Light colored seed husks are almost always empty; good seed husks are usually dark brown. The buff-yellow pine nuts inside the good husks are a mainstay of many Colorado Plateau animals.
The distribution of pinyon pine is primarily determined by climate. Its lower elevation limits are determined by lack of moisture; its upper elevation limits by biotic competition, low temperatures, and excessive soil moisture. With that being said, the elevational zones that pinyon pines occupy, vary considerably depending upon the local topography and geographical location. Pinyon pines usually grow on the higher elevation sites in the pinyon-juniper woodlands that they occupy. Our photos were taken near Jacob's Lake, Arizona; north of the Grand Canyon, on the Kaibab Plateau of the Colorado Plateau. The Kaibab Plateau is an "island" of forested land surrounded by a sea of sage and grasslands. "Kaibab" is a Paiute Indian word that translates to "mountain lying down." Flowers/Inflorescence: Cones. Unisexual, in clusters at the ends of branches. The male cones occurring in clusters of 20 to 40, dark red to purplish red to yellow. Female cones are solitary and purplish. Mature female cones appear as "pine cones", light brown to tan in color with thick scales. The cones don't mature until September of the second year. Stems: Twigs are smooth when young. Branches are rough and scaly. The bark is thin, gray to reddish-brown or nearly black. The trunk is frequently twisted and crooked. The bark is irregularly furrowed with small scales. Pine gum resin abundant. The distribution of pinyon pine is primarily determined by climate. Its lower limits are determined by lack of moisture; upper limits by biotic competition, low temperatures, and excessive soil moisture. Therefore, the elevational zones it occupies vary considerably depending on local topography and geographical location. Pinyon pine usually grows on the higher elevation sites in the pinyon-juniper woodlands it occupies. Its locations are intermediate between ponderosa pine and submontane scrub above, and semi-arid grassland or sagebrush steppes below. Pinyon occurs most commonly at elevations between 4,500 and 7,500 feet where annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 18 inches. The seeds are important wildlife food for several songbirds, quails, squirrels, chipmunks, black bears, and mule deer. The seed crop of pinyon pine is valuable and is used in making candies, cakes, and cookies. In the past the seeds were a staple food in American Indian diets and were eaten raw, roasted, or ground into flour. Today, some incense is made from the crushed cones. Native American still use the pitch as a caulking compound for watertight baskets and as glue for turquoise jewelry. The annual harvest of pinyon nuts exceeds 1 million pounds. This crop is second in commercial value only to pecans among the uncultivated nuts of the United States. Singleleaf Pinyon Pine (P. monophylla) nuts are larger and more desirable than those from P. edulis. The tree is also desired as a Christmas tree because of its aromatic fragrance, and the wood is also used for fuel and fence posts.
Quick Notes:
Height: 30 to 45 feet tall and three feet in diameter, with a 30 foot crown spread.
Trunk: Up to about 30 inches thick. A single trunk sometimes with a few branches. Each branch can be 8" - 16" in diameter.
Bark: Dark, tight, fissured bark.
Cones: Yellowish papery male cones, female pinecones, 2 to 6 inches in length, conical to ovate, stalk nearly absent; cone scales thickened at the apex, with a small apical spine, and with a raised keel.
Buds: Buds ovoid, to 2 cm, 1 cm broad, red-brown, very resinous; scale margins white-fringed.
Flowers: Monoecious; males in long drooping catkins, yellow-green; females very small spikes in leaf axils, appearing with the leaves.
Flowering Time: Mid March - May.
Fruit: Pine nuts.
Leaves: Needles about two inches long, in bundles of twos, thin, and dark green. New growth is bluish-green turning yellowish-green.
Found: Native to the USA (AZ, CA, CO, NM, NV, OK, TX, UT, WY). Also native to northern Mexico in northern Sonora, & northern Chihuahua.
Hardiness: Usually found below Zone 8a.
Soil pH requirements:
Sun Exposure:
Elevation: Elevations between 4,500 and 7,500 feet where annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 18 inches.
Habitat: Dry and rocky soils Landscape Plant In Some Areas. The woodland mosaic formed by pinyon pine occurs primarily on the high plains, plateaus, mesas, canyons, foothills, and lower mountain slopes of the Colorado Plateau. Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands. Dry and rocky soils. Associated Species are: Utah juniper, big sagebrush, Indian ricegrass.
Miscellaneous: Photos Taken Near Jacob's Lake Arizona. March 6, 2007.
|
| © 1966 - Present, Audrey, Eve, & George DeLange |