CONIFERS 



29 



the sides, \' long, with a thin dark gray shell mottled with black and wings broadest 

 below the middle, |' long, \' wide. 



A tree, usually 80-100 or occasionally 120 high, with a trunk 2-2 or rarely 

 3 in diameter, comparatively small horizontal branches, and slender flexible branch- 

 lets at first light red more or less tinged with purple, ultimately dark reddish 

 brown. Bark '-f thick, 

 slightly and irregularly 

 divided by shallow fis- 

 sures into flat connected 

 ridges broken into small 

 closely appressed light 

 reddish brown scales. 

 Wood light, soft, not 

 strong, brittle, close- 

 grained, light brown, with 

 thick nearly white sap- 

 wood ; occasionally used 

 for fuel and rarely maim- 

 fai-tured into lumber. 



Distribution. Valley 

 of the lower Santee River, 



South Carolina to middle and northwestern Florida, and to central Mississippi and 

 the swamps of Bayou Phalia, eastern Louisiana ; usually growing singly or in small 

 groves; attaining its largest size and often occupying areas of considerable extent in 

 northwestern Florida. 



29. Pinus echinata, Mill. Yellow Pine. Short-leaved Pine. 

 Leaves in clusters of 2 and of 3, slender, flexible, dark blue-green, .">' -Y long, be- 

 ginning to fall at the end of their second season and dropping irregularly until their 

 fifth year. Flowers : staminate in short crowded clusters, pale purple ; pistillate in 



clusters of 2 or 3 on stout ascending stems, pale rose color. Fruit ovate to oblong- 

 conical, subsessile and nearly horizontal or short-stalked and pendant, generally 

 clustered, l^'-2^' long, becoming dull brown, with thin scales nearly flat below and 

 rounded at the apex, armed with short straight or somewhat recurved frequently 



