30 The Pines 



on all 3 faces, and contain from 3 to 5 resin-ducts in the inner pulp and 2 fibro- 

 vascular bundles. They are crowded in dense tufts at the very tips of the twigs, 

 more or less drooping, and persist for two years. The flowers appear in March, 

 the staminate short, dense, narrowly cylindric, incurved, 5 to 6 cm. long; anthers 

 dark reddish purple. The pistillate flowers are nearly terminal, usually in pairs or 

 often several in a cluster, short scaly-stalked, oval, about 8 mm. long, the scales 

 dark purple, broadly ovate, tapering upward into slender tips, their bracts wider 

 than long. The cones, which mature the second autumn, are nearly sessile, hori- 

 zontal or pendent, cylindric or oblong when cipsed, oblong when open, 1.5 to 2.5 

 dm. long, often slightly cui-ved, dull brown, shedding their seed on opening, and 

 persist for another season; their scales are thin and flat, blimt at the apex, con- 

 spicuously ridged, slightly thickened and terminated by a flattened knob, and 

 armed by a small reflexed spine; the unexposed portion is dull purple below and 

 reddish brown and shining above; seeds somewhat angled, about 12 mm. long, 

 pale brown and prominently ridged; wing thin and brittle, 4.5 to 5 cm. long, 

 about I cm. wide, reddish brown and shining; cotyledons 7 to 10. 



The wood is very hard, strong and tough, coarse-grained, light red or orange 

 colored, very resinous; its specific gravity is about 0.70. It is quite durable and 

 largely used for masts and other purposes requiring large strong timbers, also 

 for railroad ties, fencing, flooring, and interior finishing, fuel and charcoal. 



The oleoresin is of very great importance, and is the basis of an extensive 

 industry, most of the resin and oil of turpentine being products of this species; 

 it is also the principal source of the pine tar used in America. 



It has received many names, as : Southern pine. Southern yellow pine, Southern 

 hard pine. Southern heart pine. Southern pitch pine, Yellow pine, Turpentine 

 pine, Rosemary pine. Heart pine. Pitch pine. Broom pine. Hard pine, Georgia 

 pine. Fat pine, Long-leaved yellow pine, Longleaf pitch pine, Longstraw pine, 

 Georgia yellow pine, Georgia heart pine, Georgia longleaf pine, Georgia pitch 

 pine, Florida pine, Florida yellow pine, Florida longleaf pine, Texas yellow pine, 

 Texas longleaf pine. 



22. PITCH PINE — Pinus rigida Miller 



A widely distributed tree of eastern North America, growing in the poorest 

 soils from New Brunswick to Ontario and Ohio and southward to northern 

 Georgia and Alabama. Its maximum height is 25 meters, with a trunk diameter 

 of 9 dm., but it often bears fruit when only several meters high. 



The trunk is stout, the branches stiff, horizontal, and often in remote 

 whorls forming an open narrow cone. Very old trees have the branches more or 

 less contorted, often pendulous at the ends, forming an irregular round-topped, 

 often picturesque head. The bark is about 3 cm. thick, irregularly deeply broken 

 into broad flat confluent ridges which are covered with irregular, rather loose, red- 

 brown or purplish red scales. The twigs are smooth, light green soon becoming 



