COXIFER^ : PINE FAMILY, 



1. — White Pine. " Mountain Pine." [Finns monticola, Douglas.) 



A large and important timber tree, occurring in northern Montana 

 and Idaho (also in southern British Columbia, and from Washington 

 Territory to southern California) between 3,000 and 10,000 feet eleva- 

 tion, usually occurring on a poor, sandy soil. In northern Montana it 

 attains, perhaps its most valuable size, 60 to 100 feet high and over 3 

 feet in diameter. The wood is quite similar to that of the White Pine 

 of the Northeast [Finns strobus, Linn.), and is used considerably for 

 lumber throughout its range. 



Description. — Leaves in fives (with small distant teeth) often 3 to 4 inches long'. 

 Cones 5 to 8 inches long (on long stems), slender, cylindrical, yellowish-brown ; pend- 

 ulous the second year ; seeds small, light-colored. Bark pale, rather smooth, break- 

 ing up into squarish plates. (Distinguished from Piniis strobus by its longer couas 

 and stiffer leaves.) 



2. — White Pine. [Finns flexilis, James.) 



Next to the Bull Pine (No. 7) in its general distribution, on dry, rocky, 

 ridges 5 and, although its wood is inferior to that of the former, it is 

 used for many of the same purposes ; in parts of Wyoming and Mon- 

 tana furnishing most of the local supply of lumber for domestic pur- 

 poses. Generally found growing on eastern slopes at altitudes from 

 4,000 to 10,000 feet, from Montana (probably much farther north) to 

 New Mexico; (also in the Guadalupe and Limpia Mountains, western 

 Texas ; the high ranges of Utah, Nevada, northern Arizona, and in the 

 Inj^o Mountains and Mount Silliman, California.) It attains a height 

 of 50 to 75 feet, with a diameter of 3 feet and over. 



Description. — Leaves in fives, 1^ to 2 (excei)tionally 2^ to 3) inches long. Cones on 

 very short stems, oval or rather cylindrical, 3 to 5 inches long and light brown ; 

 scales spreading widely at maturity. Crown roundish ; branches drooping ; bark 

 furrowed and gray. 



3.— IIoARY-BRANCiiED PiNE. [Finus alMcanlis, Engelm.) 



A tree of little economical importance, as it rarely attains a useful 

 size. It has a limited range in the Eocky Mountain region, occurring 

 only on high ridges in northern Montana (but on the Pacific coast ex- 

 tends from southern California to British Columbia). It grows in dry, 

 gravelly soil, reaching up to the extreme line of timber growth, where 

 it becomes a shrub; sometimes 40 feet in height and 1 to IJ feet in 

 diameter, though generally smaller where it occurs .in greatest abun- 

 dance. Wood light and soft. 



159 



