1058 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



PINUS EDULIS 



Pinus edulis, Engelmann, in VVislizenus, Tour Mexico, Bot. App. 88 (1848), and in Rothrock, Geo/. 



Surveys, vi. Botany, 260 (1878); Sargent, Silva N. Amer. xi. 55, t. 552 (1897), and Trees N. 



Amer. 11 (1905); Masters, in Gard. Chron. xii. 563, fig. 86 (1892), and in Journ. Linn. Soc. 



{Bot.) xxxv. 587, fig. 2 (1904) ; Clinton-Baker, Illust. Conif. i. 19 (1909). 

 Pinus monophylla, Torrey, var. edulis, M. E. Jones, in Zoe, ii. 251 (1891). 

 Pinus cembroides, Zuccarini, var. edulis, Voss, in Deut. Gartenrat, Beilage 123 (1904); Shaw, Pines 



of Mexico, 6 (1909). 



A tree, usually small in size, rarely attaining 40 ft. in height and 8 ft. in girth, 

 with a short, often divided trunk. Bark \ to f in. thick, irregularly divided into 

 scaly ridges. Young branchlets stouter than in P. cembroides, grey, glabrous. 

 Buds ovoid, acute, \ in. long, with brownish, densely imbricated, apiculate scales. 



Leaves in pairs, with occasional three-leaved clusters, persistent three to five 

 years, not so crowded on the branchlets as those of P. cembroides, appressed together 

 in each cluster, \x.o \\ in. long, rigid, stout, curved, sharp-pointed, entire in margin, 

 with numerous stomatic lines on both surfaces ; resin-canals marginal ; basal sheath 

 as in P. cembroides. 



Cones similar to those of Pi cembroides, but usually smaller, with the pyramidate 

 apophysis of each scale more elevated than in that species, and the slightly deflexed 

 umbo armed with a minute prickle, often obscured by resin. Seed smaller and 

 lighter in colour than in P. cembroides ; shell thin and brittle ; wing rudimentary, 

 about \ in. in length. 



This species is widely distributed along the eastern foothills of the Rocky 

 Mountains, from Colorado through New Mexico to western Texas, and extends 

 westward through south-western Wyoming to Utah, northern and central Arizona, 

 and southward over the mountains of northern Mexico. Associated with junipers 

 (J. monosperma and J. pachyphloed), it forms extensive open forests between 5000 

 and 7700 ft. elevation, rarely ascending as a stunted shrub to 9000 ft. F. J. Phillips 1 

 states that in southern Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico it is a tree of great 

 economic and silvicultural importance. It succeeds in arid localities, where the 

 average annual precipitation is less than 13 in. Its wood is much used for fuel; 

 and to a lesser extent for fencing, railway sleepers, and mining timber. The seeds 

 are an important article of food among Indians and Mexicans, and are sold in the 

 markets of Colorado and New Mexico. 



This species was described by Engelmann from specimens collected in 1846 by 

 Dr. Wislizenus in New Mexico ; and was introduced into cultivation 2 at Kew many 

 years ago, but is now only represented there by one or two small plants. We have 

 not seen it elsewhere. (A. H.) 



1 In Bot. Gat. xlviii. 216-223 ( , 99)- 

 1 Cf. J. D. Hooker, in Gard. Chron. xxvi. 136 (1886). 



