Red Pine 



23 



nearly terminal, usually in pairs, short-stalked, broadly oblong, about 8 mm. long, 

 their scales dark purple, 

 long-pointed, refiexed. The 

 cones are horizontal, oval, 

 5 to 6 cm. long, bright red- 

 brown and shining; scales 

 somewhat concave, the apex 

 transversely ridged and 

 much thickened into a stout 

 knob, armed by a short 

 curved prickle, dull and 

 red-brown on the upper and 

 dark purple or brown on the 

 under side of the unexposed 

 parts; seed about 3 mm. 

 long, rounded below, sHghtly 

 flattened toward the apex; 

 wing many times longer 

 than the seed, broadest near 

 the middle, oblique, 4 to 6 

 mm. wide, thin, hght brown. 

 The wood is soft, weak, 

 somewhat brittle and close- 



, ,. , , ,, Fig. 16. — Arizona Yellow Pine. 



gramed, hght red or yellow- 

 ish with very resinous bands and passages; its specific gravity is about 0.50. It 

 is occasionally sawed into lumber, especially in Mexico. 



16. RED PINE — Pinus resinosa Solander 



Of the American pines this is the closest related to the common European or 

 Scotch pine ^ Pinus sylvestris L., so often seen in cultivation in the eastern United 

 States. It is a northern tree, occurring from Nova Scotia to Manitoba southward 

 to the mountains of northern Pennsylvania and central Minnesota, reaching a 

 maximum height of 45 meters, with a trunk diameter of 1.5 m. 



The trunk is taU and straight, its branches stout, spreading, more or less pen- 

 dulous, forming a broad, irregular cone; when very old the lower branches 

 have disappeared and some of the upper ones have enlarged, forming an irregular 

 round open head. The bark is often 3 cm. thick, sHghtly and shallowly fissured 

 into broad, flat ridges covered with loose, hght reddish scales. The twigs are 

 stout, smooth, except for the persistent bases of the bud-scales, purplish brown, 

 finally hght reddish brown; the winter branch-buds are ovoid, sharp-pointed, 

 about 18 mm. long, their scales loose, thin, pale brown, dry and fringed on the 

 margin. The leaves are in sheathed fascicles of 2, dark green and shining. 



