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 GO ft. with a diameter of 2i-3 ft. Crown in closed 

 stanils shallow, irregulnr. 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 trunli .so that the lower branches lie prostrate 

 on the ground. See Fig. 43. 



BARK— Dark reddish-brown, J-3 of an inch thick, roughened by shallow Assures into irregular 

 plates which peel off in thin films. 



TWIGS— Stout, rather brittle, at flrst smooth and light orange to i)urplish, 

 and dark brown. 



ater rather rough 



BUBS — Itesinous, narrowly elliptical, blnnt-polnted, covered with overlapping brown scales. 

 Terminal buds about !-J of an Inch long, the lateral shorter. 



LEAVES — In clusters of 2 surrounded by a persistent sbeath. 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. Staininate 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— .\ 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, IJ inches thick at the thickest end and Si ft. long bore 

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



WOOD— Non-porous; resinous, brittle. coai.«e.grained, pale reddish-brown with light sapwood. 

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

 into lumber. 



DISTINGUISHING CHARACTEKISTICS— The Table Mountain Pine, also known as Poverty 

 Pine, can readily l)e distinguished l>y 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. 



Occasionally found at the 



HABITAT — Commonly found on dry. rocky, and gravelly slopes. 

 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 occasionall.v 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. 



