Digger Pine 



37 



minating very readily into vigorous young plants which soon take entire posses- 

 sion of the ground even when other species of pine are present. It is also con- 

 sidered the handsomest of the southeastern pines. 



It is also called Swamp pine, Bastard pine, Meadow pine, Pitch pine. She pitch 

 pine. She pine, and Spruce pine. 



27. DIGGER PINE 



Pinus Sabiniana Douglas 



This tree, also called Gray pine. Bull pine, Grayleaf pine, and Sabine's pine, 

 occurs locally in the foothill region of western Cahfornia, reaching an altitude of 

 1200 meters. It never forms forests, but grows singly or in small groups, attain- 

 ing a maximum height of 24 meters and a trunk diameter of 1.2 m. 



The trunk is short, usually divided at 5 or 6 meters above the ground into 

 several stout spreading branches, which are again divided into very crooked 

 limbs, pendulous below, ascend- 

 ing above, forming an open, 

 round-headed tree, unlike any 

 other pine. The bark is about 

 5 cm. thick, deeply and irregu- 

 larly fissured into rounded con- 

 fluent ridges, covered with small 

 close scales of a dark red-brown 

 to nearly black color. The twigs 

 are rather stout, smooth, glau- 

 cous bluish, becoming brown 

 and finally nearly black, and 

 roughened by the persistent 

 bases of the scales. The 

 branch-buds are oblong-ovoid, 

 sharply pointed, about 2 cm. 

 long, their shining brown scales 

 slightly fringed. The leaves are 

 in sheathed fascicles of 3, pale 

 bluish green, slender, not stifi", 2 

 to 3 dm. long, 1.5 mm. thick, 

 sharply and rather coarsely 

 toothed toward the sharp, slen- 

 der apex, entire toward the base, the stomata in several rows on each face; they 

 contain 2 or 3 resin-ducts in the pulp and 2 fibrovascular bundles; they are rather 

 pendent, very sparse, and persist for three or four years. The staminate flowers 

 are oblong, about 2 cm. long, their anthers yellow. The pistillate flowers are 

 erect, oblong-obovoid, about 12 mm. long, dark purple and glaucous, their scales 

 ovate and terminated by slender, incurved tips. Cones are oblong-ovoid, flat or 



Fig. 29.- Digger Pine. 



