THE TRUE PINES. 199 



No. o5. PiKUS Ll AVE ANA, ScMcde, Llave's Pine. 

 Syn. Pinus osteosperma, Wislizenus. 

 „ „ cembroides, Zuccarini.] 



Leaves, in threes, but often in twos, short, slightly twisted, 

 sometimes incurved, rigid, narrow, bright, glaucous green, very 

 dense, from two to two inches and a half long, ribbed on the 

 inner side, terminated with a sharp point, and frequently inter- 

 mixed with lance-shaped scales (abortive leaves), particularly 

 on the smaller shoots near the base, and which are sometimes 

 of a glaucous white colour, like those on the Stone Pine (P. 

 Pinca) ; sheaths, very short on the young leaves, but soon roll- 

 ing up or falling off on the adult ones. Branches, numerous, 

 in regular whorls, smooth, of an ash-grey colour, and horizontal, 

 with the points slightly elevated, and the branchlets spreading 

 in all ^directions ; buds, small, blunt-pointed, numerous, and 

 thickly covered with brown scales, reflexed at the points, and 

 slightly resinous. Cones, small, consisting of only three rows 

 of scales, roundish, obtuse, wider than long, one inch and three- 

 quarters wide, and one inch long, solitary, without any footstalk, 

 and taking two years to ripen. Scales, thick, rounded at the 

 margin, rhomboid, bluntly-pyramidal, hard, glossy, slightly 

 angular, and more or less curved downwards, keel-shaped below* 

 three-quarters of an inch broad, deeply concave on the inner 

 side, and with two deep receptacles for the seed at the base. 

 Seeds, very large, without wings, top-shaped, dark-brown, with 

 a hard shell, six or seven lines long, and nearly four broad, 

 very agreeable to eat, but thick shelled. 



A low tree, with ample spreading branches, growing from 

 fifteen to twenty feet high, aud^ occasionally cultivated in 

 gardens for the sake of its seeds, which the Mexicans call 

 ' Pinones.' 



It is found in Mexico, on the barren hills of Zimapan, Real 

 del Oro, and Real del Monte, in forests at elevations of from 

 8,000 to 9,500 feet. Timber of little use. 



