was discovered in 1850 and named in honor of Professor John Torrey of 

 Columbia College, a student of western plants in California before the clays 

 of the overland railroad. The city of San Diego has included the little group 

 of these rare trees at Del Mar in a city park in order that they may be carefully 

 protected against despoliation. 



In its native state, the Torrey pine is a short stocky tree about forty 

 feet high and a foot in diameter. In situations exposed to strong sea winds it 

 is semiprostrate with its crown sprawling to leeward. Under the influence 

 of cultivation, it develops a totally different habit and is symmetrical with 

 regular whorls of branches. It grows rapidly and with its foliage in heavy 

 tufts on the ends of the branchlets makes an attractive tree. It is planted as 

 an ornamental, particularly in southern California, with much success. 



BIG-CONE PINE 



The big-cone pine (Pinus coulteri) was first collected by Dr. Thomas 

 Coulter in 1831, who found it on the mountains of Santa Lucia near the 

 mission of San Antonio, in latitude 36 degrees, within sight of the sea and at 

 an elevation of from 3000 to 4000 feet above its level. This pine, which has 

 the largest cone borne by any pine, closely resembles the western yellow pine 

 in habit except that the foliage is pale or yellowish green as contrasted with 

 the bright green masses of yellow pine leaves. 



It reaches a height of ninety feet in its native habitat in the southern 

 coast mountains of California with a trunk sometimes four feet in diameter. 

 It is most abundant on the San Bernardino and San Jacinto ranges at eleva 

 tions of about 5000 feet. The seeds were formerly gathered and eaten by the 

 Indians of southern California. 



Big-cone pine is planted somewhat as an ornamental on account of its 

 striking foliage and cones, but its chief importance is for a cover on arid slopes 

 where other species will not grow. 



CANARY ISLAND PINE 



The Canary Island pine (Pinus canariensis), or blue pine as it is often 

 called, is a native of the Canary Islands. It does very well under cultivation, 

 especially in southern California, where it is said to grow as fast, if not faster, 

 than Monterey pine, a native tree of remarkable growth. The long pendent 

 needles of a glaucous blue color give the tree a distinctive appearance. The 



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