354 NEW ENGLAND TREES IN WINTER. 



SCOTCH PINE 



Scotch "Fir." 

 Pinus sylvestris L. 



HABIT A tree up to 70 ft. or occasionally 120 ft. in height; as 

 cultivated in this country in the open, often a low branching tree with 

 more or less pendant limbs and inclined trunk presenting a rather 

 straggling unkempt appearance; frequently of more erect habit, espe- 

 cially in company with other trees. 



BARK Grayish-brown, scaly, upper part of trunk and branches 

 characteristically smoothish in appearance by flaking off of the outer 

 bark in thin papery light-reddish layered scales. 



TWIGS Of medium thickness, dull grayish-yellow, not downy, rough- 

 ened by scales subtending leaf clusters. 



LEAVES In clusters of 2, persistent, sheaths becoming lacerated, 

 dull bluish-green l^-S 1 /^ inches long, stiff, generally twisted, flat or 

 concave on one side, rounded on the other, pointed. MICROSCOPIC 

 SECTION showing 2 fibro-vascular bundles, peripheral resin-ducts, 

 strengthening cells around resin-ducts, at one side of the bundles and 

 beneath the epidermis, stomata all around. 



BUDS Oblong-conical, brown, often somewhat resinous-coated. 



FRUIT Cones l%-2% inches long, short-stalked, grayish or reddish 

 brown, conic-oblong, generally appearing with the whorls of lateral 

 branches, usually pointing backward. SCALES in young cones with a 

 short projection which when mature may persist as a short weak incon- 

 spicuous point or is deciduous, apex of scale thickened with a more or 

 less prominent four-sided boss often recurved especially toward base 

 of cone. 



COMPARISONS The Scotch Pine often improperly called Scotch "Fir" 

 may be distinguished from the other Tines native or cultivated in New 

 England by the bald reddish appearance of the upper part of trunk 

 and branches, the short bluish-green leaves and the backward-pointing 

 cones. 



DISTRIBUTION A European tree cultivated abroad in extensive for- 

 ests for its timber. In this country more or less planted as an orna- 

 mental tree, and sparingly escaped from cultivation. In Connecticut 

 rare or local as an escape; New London, Lyme, Southington, Bridgeport. 



WOOD Light, soft, reddish-brown with thick light yellowish or red- 

 dish sapwood, easily split and durable, corresponding in importance 

 abroad to the White Pine in this country. 



