28 



The Pines 



dropping their seed promptly, but sometimes remain closed on the branches for 

 many years, the seeds retaining their vitality; the scales are thin, concave, the 

 rounded apex ridged and shghtly thickened into a narrow, oblong dark knob, 

 temiinated by a long, slender, more or less recurved and often deciduous spine, 

 bright reddish purple on the unexposed surfaces; seed about 2 mm. long, dark 

 reddish brown with black markings; the wing thin, about 10 mm. long, widest at or 

 below the middle, oblicjue and tapering toward the apex and base, pale brown; 

 cotyledons 4 or 5. 



The wood is hard, strong, but brittle, coarse-grained, light reddish brown with 

 conspicuous resin bands and small resin passages; its specific gravity is about 

 0.58. In Alaska the inner bark is baked and used for food by the Indians. 



It is variously known as Twisted pine, Scrub pine, Bolander's pine, Henderson's 

 pine, and Tamarack. 



20. LODGE POLE PIXE Pinus Murrayana Balfour 



A tree of the mountains, from the Yukon River south and eastward to Assini- 

 boia, Montana, and southward to southern California and southern Colorado. 

 It is the principal tree in the Yellowstone Park, forming the forests of the higher 



mountains, where it makes the 

 timber Hne at an ahitude of about 

 3000 meters. Its maximum height 

 is 50 meters, with a trunk diameter 

 of 1.8 m.; usually it is of about 

 half these dimensions or less. 



The tnmk is tall and slender, 

 the branches are short, forming a 

 tall, very slender conic tree hav- 

 ing the aspect of a Larch rather 

 than a Pine. The bark is 6 to 12 

 mm. thick, one of the thinnest of 

 all our pines, quite smooth and 

 orange-colored. The twigs are 

 rather stout, light brown, becom- 

 ing dark gray and very rough. 

 The leaves are in sheathed fasci- 

 cles of 2, stout and stiff, 5 to 7.3 

 cm. long and 2 mm. wide, finely 

 toothed near the stiff, sharp- 

 pointed apex, yellowish green, 



Fig. 21. Lodge Pole Pine. 



marked with many stomata on all surfaces and persist for several years. The 

 staminate flowers are dense, spike-like, oblong or narrowly cylindric, about 10 

 mm. long with orange-colored anthers. The pistillate flowers are usually in nearly 



