42 HOUGH'S AMERICAN WOODS. 



50. PINUS RIGIDA, MILLER. 



PITCH PINE. 

 Ger., Pechkiefer ; Fr., Pin de goudron ; Sp., Pino de pez. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. Leaves 3-6 in. (8-15 cm.) long, rigid, dark green, arranged 

 in 3s, with a short, close sheath enveloping the base of each fascicle. Sterile catkins 

 clustered, slender, oblong, ovoid, with 6-8 involucral scales at the base. Cones lat- 

 eral, pyramidal -ovoid, 1-3 in. (2.5-3 cm.) in length, often clustered, and with scales 

 thickened at the end and furnished with a short, thick, recurved prickle, persistent 

 after shedding the seeds, which are scarcely, if at all, ridged beneath; cotyledons 

 usually 5. 



(Rigida is the Latin for stiff, rigid, alluding to the leaves.) 



A tree conspicuous on account of its tufted dark-green foliage of coarse, 

 rigid needles, and the dark color of the bark of its trunk rough with 

 large and prominent longitudinal ridges, the outer surface of which flakes 

 off in small, irregular scales. It attains the height sometimes of 80 ft. 

 (24 m.) and 3 ft. (0.90 m.) in thickness of trunk. 



HABITAT. Eastern and Southern Canada and southward, particularly 

 along the Atlantic States to Georgia, growing mostly in sandy, barren 

 soil. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood light, soft, not strong, with coarse, 

 conspicuous grain, and abundantly supplied with resin. The heart-wood 

 is of a light brownish-red color and sap-wood yellowish-white. Specific 

 Gravity, 0.5151; Percentage of Ash, 0.23; Relative Approximate Fuel 

 Value, 0.5139; Coefficient of Elasticity, 58127; Modulus of Rupture, 

 739 ; Resistance to Longitudinal Pressure, 355 ; Resistance to Indenta- 

 tion, 133 ; Weight of a Cubic Foot in Pounds, 32.10. 



USES. Used to some extent for coarse lumber, flooring, sills, etc., to 

 some extent for charcoal, and it is said considerable tar, turpentine and 

 lampblack has been procured from this tree. The great amount of resin 

 which the wood contains makes it very inflammable, and hence it is of 

 great value for fuel, especially for engines, etc., for use in brick-making, 

 etc. 



MEDICINAL PROPERTIES. The medicinal properties claimed of this 

 species are those found in the turpentine, tar, etc., sometimes derived 

 from it, but, as by far the greater part of those products are derived from 

 the Georgia Pine (P. palustris), mention of them will be reserved to be 

 given with that species. 



