Handbook of Tribes of the jSToPvTiiEnN States axd C'axada. 



10 



The Table-]\Ioiintiiin Pine deserves its luune 

 fioni beiiii^' conlinod in its natural distribution 

 mainly In i\\r iliy jj;ravell y tabledainls and 

 slopes of till-' ^\|i|)alaeliian Alts., tliouj^h it is 

 found to bo hardy and thrives \v(dl when 

 phinti'd outside <if this liniiti-d raii^e — o\er 

 tlie niiddh' and eastern stales <^cnerally. 'I'o 

 the northward it is loe:il in its distribution 

 and generally scattered ainoiig (dher trees 

 sui'h as the Yellow, Pitch and Jersey I'iiies. 

 Oaks, liickories. etc., but in the southern 

 Allo<;henies it forms nearly cNelusix'e f( tresis 

 of considerable extent. It rarely exceeds (>() 

 or 70 ft. in height or 2 or 3 ft. in diameter of 

 trunk, and develops a wide ronndi'd or often 

 irregnhir lop. The biirk of hunk is a d;irk 

 reihlish brown color rough with irregular scaly 

 phitcs and ridges. A chiiractcv by wliicli it is 

 reailily distinguished fiom ;ill other eastern 

 Pines is its massive cones armed witli \'ery 

 lliii-k ciir\cd spines, more siiggi'slixc cif 

 various species of the Paeilic slo|(e than are 

 those of aTiy other eastern species. 



Its wood is light, soft, brittle, coarse-grained 



and of a pale reddish lirown color with thick 



lighter saji-wood. A cubic foot, w hen ;ibso- 



lutely dry, weighs 30.7'> li)s. It is little used 



exfi'pting for fuel and <-l;ari'oal.' 



Iji iin-s in (-f(i\vil<'d cinst'-rs of 2, 11-4 in. loH!^' 

 Willi short persistent shcalhs, slnnt. slilT, iiKin- nr 

 less twist r(l. witlj '2 lihro-\'nsciil;i r hnndlcs iind 

 r'-sin-dncts in parcncli.vma ; Ijranrlilcl s shorl , (!;irk 

 brnwQ and rough. Floirrrs : slaniinatc .\'<>l]ii\\', in 

 Inose clusters: "the pistillate lung-slalkcd, lalei-al 

 and Kcnerallj- in whorls of '_' to Ti or nmrc. CiDu.-i 

 short-ovoid, 3-4 in. lonf^. lateral and in wli 

 Tipon the hranchlet, ohlique at base, sessile and 

 with scales, especiall.v those of the onfer side near 

 base, much thickened, with prominent transverse 

 rid.ge and armed with a strong tlat curved prickli> ; 

 seeds rounded triangular, nearly Vi in- long, and 

 with wings broadest near the center. 



I 



