218 TEEES IK WINTER 



AUSTRIAN PINE 

 Black Pine. 



Pinus Laricio, var. austriaca Endl. 



HABIT — A tall tree reaching 60-80 ft. in height; trunk erect contin- 

 uous into the crown, branches in young trees regularly whorled, foliage 

 in rigid dark green tufts. 



BARK — Grayish-brown, roughened with scaly ridges, reddish-brown 

 within. 



TWIGS — Stout, yellowish-brown, not downy, roughened by decurrent 

 scales subtending leaf-clusters especially toward base of each year's 

 growth. 



LEAVES — In ciusters of 2, with relatively short persistent sheaths, 

 dark dullish green, 3-5 inches long, rigid, flattened on one side, rounded 

 on the other, sharp-pointed. MICROSCOPIC SECTION — showing 

 2 fibro-vascular bundles, resin-ducts located intermediate between 

 bundles and periphery, strengthening cells beneath the epidermis in 

 patches several layers thick also surrounding the resin-ducts and on 

 one side of the fibro-vascular bundles, stomata all around. 



BUDS — Oblong-conical, pointed, sometimes covered with a white resin. 



FRUIT — Cones 2i^-3 inches long, without stalks, ovate-conical, becom- 

 ing broadly ovate when opened, making about a right angle with the 

 stem. SCALES — thickened at apex, generally with a short dull spine. 



COMPARISONS — The Austrian Pine resembles most closely the Red 

 Pine among our New England species. The stiff character of its 

 sharp-pointed leaves in distinction to the soft flexible leaves of the 

 Red Pine may be observed by striking the open hand against a tuft 

 of the needles. The winter twigs of the Austrian Pine are yellowish- 

 brown, those of the Red Pine are bright reddish-brown. The micro- 

 scopic sections of the leaves of the two species are very distinct. 



DISTRIBUTION — A native of Europe but frequently cultivated in 

 this country as an ornamental tree and to some extent used in forest 

 planting. 



WOOD — Light, soft, rich in turpentine and very durable. In Europe 

 the wood is used as a building timber and turpentine is obtained from 

 the tree. 



