PINE FAMILY 



Bark. On old trees dark gray, divided by shallow fissures into 

 broad scaly ridges. On young stems and branches, thin, smooth, 

 lustrous, brownish green. Branchlets slender at first covered with 

 rusty tomentum, later they become dark yellow brown, smooth, 



becoming darker as the branch becomes older. 



Charged with tannic acid. 



Wood. Light brown, sapwood nearly white ; light, 

 soft, compact, straight-grained, very resinous, easily 

 worked, takes a fine polish. Pumpkin pine is the 

 close-grained valuable wood of large trees that have 

 grown to a great age on rich well-drained soil. Used 

 for lumber, shingles, cabinet-making, interior of 

 houses, masts and spars of vessels. Sp. gr., 0.3854; 

 weight of cu. ft., 24.02 Ibs. 



Biids. The branch buds are ovate-oblong, acu- 

 minate, covered by ovate-lanceolate, light brown 

 scales ; terminal bud usually about one-half an inch 

 long, sometimes as short as the lateral ones that 

 surround it. 



Leaves. In clusters of fives ; they come out of 

 the buds which are enclosed under the scales of the 

 branch bud. The buds of leaf clusters are covered 

 by eight scales which lengthen with the growing 

 leaves. The leaves when full grown are soft, slen- 

 der, bluish green, glaucous, three to five inches long, 

 sharply serrate, mucronate with pale tip ; usually 

 turn yellow and fall in September of second year. 

 Fibro-vascular bundle one ; sheath loose, decid- 

 uous. 



Flowers. June. Staminate flowers oval, light 

 White Pine, Pinus brown, about one-third of an inch long, surrounded 

 strobus. Leaves by six to eight involucral bracts ; anthers with short 

 3' to 4' long. crests; involucral bracts six to eight. Pistillate 

 flowers cylindrical, subterminal, about one-fourth 

 an inch long ; scales pinkish purple on the margins ; peduncles 

 stout, clothed with bracts. Pollen very abundant. 



Cones. Subterminal, drooping, cylindrical, often slightly curved, 

 four to six inches long, one inch in diameter. Mature in autumn of 

 second year ; open and discharge seeds during September and fall 

 gradually during the winter and early spring. Scales one and one- 

 fourth to one and one-half inches long. Seven-eighths of an inch 

 wide, oblong-ovate, slightly thickened at apex, obtuse or nearly trun- 

 cate, without spine or prickle ; seeds red brown, mottled ; wing 

 nearly an inch long ; cotyledons eight to ten. 



Its cloudy boughs singing as suiteth the pine, 



To snow bearded sea kings, old songs of the brine. 



JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL, 



444 



