Taxonomy
Family: Pinacea
Habitat
Dry or rocky soil, chiefly in mountains.
Associates
Distribution
Mostly restricted to the central Appalachian Mountains from PA and adjacent NJ to northern GA.
Morphology
Small evergreen conifer to 10(-20) m, with widely spreading branches; needles mostly in fascicles of 2, rarely some in 3's, dark bluish-green, stiff, sharp, usually twisted, mostly 4-9 cm long and 1.5-2 mm thick; cones spreading or deflexed, conic-ovoid, mostly 6-9 cm long, persistent, often remaining closed for several years or until fire; apophysis thick, strongly elevated at the center, the umbo pyramidally projecting, with a stout, spreading or upwardly curved spine 3-8 mm; seeds about 2 cm long; male cones reddish-purple.
Notes
Flowers NA
Wetland indicator: FACU
I took this picture along the Blue Ridge Highway in VA and it seems several other pictures of the same tree can be found on the internet.
References
Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY
Michael Hough © 2018 |