73 



TABLE MOUNTAIN PINE. 

 Pinus pungens, Lambert. 



FORM Usually attains a height of 30-40 ft. with a diameter of 1-2 ft., but when crowded in 

 a closed forest stand it may attain a height of 60 ft. with a diameter of 2J-3 ft. Crown in closed 

 stands shallow, irregular, narrow, and round-topped. In the open the trunk is short, bearing 

 short lateral branches, the upper ones ascending and the lower ones drooping. Often the tree 

 is covered with branches to the base of the trunk so that the lower branches lie prostrate 

 on the ground. See Fig. 43. 



BARK Dark reddish-brown, |-i of an inch thick, roughened by shallow fissures into irregular 

 plates which peel off in thin films. 



TWIGS Stout, rather brittle, at first smooth and light orange to purplish, later rather rough 

 and dark brown. 



BUDS Resinous, narrowly elliptical, blunt-pointed, covered with overlapping brown scales. 

 Terminal buds about 1-2 of an inch long, the lateral shorter. 



LEAVES In clusters of 2 surrounded by a persistent sheath, 2-4 inches long, light bluish- 

 green, stout, very stiff, more or less twisted, very sharp-pointed, tufted at the end of the 

 branches, persisting for 2-3 years. 



FLOWERS Appear in April or May. Staminate flowers occur in long, loose clusters at the 

 base of the growth of the season; have yellow anthers. Pistillate flowers appear laterally along 

 new growth in whorls of 2-5 or 7, and are very short and stout-stalked. 



FRUIT A cone 3-4 inches long, sessile, oblique at the base, in whorls of 2-5 or 7 or even 

 more, light brown, short ovoid, persisting for 15 or more years but shedding seeds soon after 

 maturity. Cone-scales, especially those near base, much thickened and provided with a strong 

 curved spine. A branch 7 years old, 1J inches thick at the thickest end and 3J ft. long bore 

 36 cones. Trees 5 years old and 2-3 ft. tall can be found which bear developing cones. 



WOOD Non-porous; resinous, brittle, coarse-grained, pale reddish-brown with light sapwood. 

 Weigh 30.75 Ibs. per cubic foot. Used primarily for fuel and charcoal, and occasionally sawed 

 into lumber. 



DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS The Table Mountain Pine, also known as Poverty 

 Pine, can readily be distinguished by its coarse and massive cones armed with very stout curved 

 spines. The cones appear usually in whorls of 3, 5, 7 or more and persist for many years. 

 The stout, twisted, and very sharp-pointed needles are also characteristic. 



RANGE From Pennsylvania and New Jersey along the mountains to North Carolina and north- 

 ern Georgia. 



DISTRIBUTION IN PENNSYLVANIA Sparse to abundant upon the mountains in the south- 

 central part of the State and extends northeast on the mountains to Schuylkill county. It is 

 primarily a southern species which occurs in pure stands on the mountains in Franklin county. 

 Common on some mountains in Fulton, Blair, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Perry, and Union coun- 

 ties. Small outposts of it are also reported from Lancaster and York counties. 



HABITAT Commonly found on dry, rocky, and gravelly slopes. Occasionally found at the 

 base of the mountains on somewhat moist clayey soil. 



IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIES The lumber obtained from this tree is of little commercial 

 importance on account of its small size and the numerous knots which it contains. It is a 

 very aggressive species and is adapted for the regeneration of worn-out fields as well as to pro- 

 tect rocky slopes and prominences' from erosion. It occasionally reaches a size which will 

 yield lumber. Trees 20 inches in diameter and with a clear length of 25 feet are not uncommon 

 locally in the southern part of the State. 



