Bull Pine 



25 



3 faces, containing 2 to 5 resin-ducts and 2 fibrovascular bundles. They form 

 large tufts at the ends of the otherwise naked twigs and persist for about three 

 years. The staminate flowers are short, crowded, cyhndric and usually curved, from 



4 to 5 cm. long, their anthers yellow'. The pistillate flowers are almost terminal, 

 nearly globose, 8 mm. long, dark reddish, their scales oval and gradually narrowed 

 to slender elongated tips; the conspicuous bracts are orbicular and fringed. The 

 cones are fully grown by midsummer of the second season, when they are horizontal 

 or slightly incHned, short-stalked or nearly sessile, oval, 7.5 to 15 cm. long, often 

 in clusters of 3 to 5, usually falling off early, and in doing so break away from their 

 base, leaving a few of the 



lower scales attached to the 

 short persistent peduncle. 

 The scales are rather thin 

 and narrow, concave, usually 

 rounded and transversely 

 keeled, and terminated by a 

 raised knob and a straight 

 or recurved slender spine; 

 the exposed portion is light 

 reddish brown and shining, 

 otherwise they are dull red- 

 dish brown above, purphsh 

 beneath; seed ovoid, 6 mm. 

 long, compressed, sharp- 

 pointed, rounded at the base, 

 dark purphsh and mottled; 

 wing narrow, four times 

 longer than the body and 6 

 mm. wide; cotyledons 6 to 9. 



The wood is hard, strong, 

 but brittle, ^lose-grained, hght reddish and very resinous in conspicuous bands; 

 its specific gravity is about 0.48. It is not durable in contact with the soil, but is 

 largely used for construction work, fencing, railroad ties, fuel, and lumber. The 

 fiber extracted from the leaves of the variety Benthamiana of southern Oregon 

 is used for medicated pillows and rugs; a volatile oil is also distilled from the 

 leaves and used medicinally. The soft sapwood was used by the Indians for food 

 in times of scarcity. 



It is also called Yellow pine, Big pine, Longleaf pine, Red pine. Pitch pine, 

 Heavy pine and Heavy wooded pine. 



This species varies greatly and many varieties of it have been described. The 

 two following are the most distinct and may perhaps be deservant of specific rank: 



Black Pine, Pinus Jefjreyi A. Murray, also known as Jeffrey's pine, Truckee 

 pine, and Sapwood pine, occurs on dry volcanic mountains from southern Oregon 



Fig. 18. — Bull Pine. 



