BRIEFER ARTICLES 
TWO SPROUTING CONIFERS OF THE SOUTHWEST 
(WITH FOUR FIGURES) 
The ability of conifers to produce coppice growth is limited to a few 
species, and most if not all of them occur in the United States. The 
coppicing of Sequoia has for a long time been a classic example, while 
sprout reproduction of the pitch pine (Pinus rigida Mill.) of the east 
and shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) in the south is of considerable 
importance. During the past year extensive monogenetic reproduction 
of alligator juniper (Juniperus pachyphloea Torr.) and Chihuahua pine 
(Pinus chihuahuana Engelm.) was noted in the Garces National Forest 
along the international boundary between Mexico and the United 
States. This was very common for the region and was found in prac- 
tically every stand where either of the species occurred. 
The two most prominent stands of Chihuahua pine showing coppice 
origin were found in Boss Canyon in the Atascoso Mountains and to the 
south of the historic Mowry Mine in the Patagonia Mountains. The 
Stand that occurs in Boss Canyon is especially prominent, since it 
extends the range for the species west of the Santa Cruz River and 
occurs at the remarkably low altitude ot 1300 meters. Although an 
outlying body, it shows an optimum development for the species in the 
United States. According to a rough estimate, there are 5 
Chihuahua pines over 15 cm. in diameter breast-high, with a repro- 
duction that seems slightly inadequate to maintain the present stand. 
Fully two-thirds to three-fourths of the large seedlings and small sap- 
lings show severe injury by cattle, which usually consists of a broken 
leader and side branches (fig. 1). It is only rare seedlings in the most 
inaccessible areas that do not show this injury, and if it were not for the 
ability to sprout, reproduction would soon be missing. Typical sprout- 
ing over this area is confined to trees under 5 cm. in diameter, which 
send up most of the shoots from the root collar or the first 30 cm. above 
ground, although a large number of the saplings show groups of well 
formed buds at the nodes of both the leader and the branches. These 
buds occur for the most part on trees below 20 cm. in diameter at breast- 
height, and are usually confined to the lower half of the trunk and the 
lower portion of branches. 
385] [Botanical Gazette, vol. 51 
