FLEXILIS 
PINUS 
Identification. —PINUS FLEXILIS. James in Long's Exped., ii. pp. 27, 34 (1823) ; Nuttall, Contin. of Michaux's Sylva, iii. p. 107, pi. 112 
(1840); Torrey in Ann. Lyc. N.Y., ii. p. 249 ; Engelmann in Wislizenus' Tour in Northern Mexico in 1846-47, p. 89 (1848) ; 
and in Trans. Acad. Sc. of St. Louis, ii. p. 208 (1863); Parlatore in D. C. Prod., xvi. 2, p. 403 (1868) ; A. Murray in Gard. 
Chron., p. 356, fig. 75 (1875); Engelmann in Trans. Acad. Sc. of St. Lotus, iv. p. 175 (1880); in Revision of Genus Pinus , p. 15 
(1880); and in Botany of California, ii. p. 124 (1880). 
Engravings. —Nuttall, Contin. of Michauxs Sylva, loc. cit., pi. 112 (1840); A. Murray in Gard. Chron., 1875, p. 356, fig. 75. 
Specific Character. —Arbor mediocris seu elatior ; foliis dense confertis quinis subbiuncialibus rigidis 
integris acutiusculis ex axillis perularum lanceolatarum deciduarum, squamis vaginantibus obtusis laxis mox 
evanidis; amentis masculis ovatis involucro sub-8-phyllo munitis in axillis bracteae lanceolatae patulae 
deciduae sessilibus antherarum crista minore irregulariter inciso-dentata; amentis femineis subverticillatis in 
pedunculo brevi perulis late lanceolatis acutis dense stipato erectis squarrosis; strobilis ovato-cylindratis 
squarrosis horizontalibus seu declinatis e rubello fuscis, squamis e basi breviter cuneata latissimis orbiculato- 
rhombeis, apophysi convexa semicirculari incrassata margine area parva subrhombea inermi notata; semini- 
bus, magnis obovatis exalatis carinatis. 
Habitat in Montibus rupestribus. 
Description. —A middle-sized tree, usually 30 to 50 feet high. In Colorado it is a fine tree, with 
tapering trunk and oval outline, branching almost from the base, lower branches horizontal, upper ones 
ascending; wood white, hard, annual rings from g to \ line, on an average - line wide; trees become 
about 1 foot thick in two hundred and fifty to three hundred years. Leaves crowded towards the end 
of the very flexible branches, persistent five or six years, usually i\ to 2\, very rarely 1 or 3 inches long; 
sheaths similar to those of P. Strobus or P. Cembra, 8 lines long, deciduous. The section of the leaf 
(fig. 1) is more or less three-sided, with hypoderm, which also surrounds the peripheral resin canals. Male 
aments 4 to 5 lines long, forming a thick spike 10 to 12 lines long; cones subcylindric, tapering to the 
end, 4 to 5 inches long, 2 inches in the largest diameter, on short peduncles; scales 12 
to 14 lines long, 10 to 12 lines wide, squarrose; lowest sterile ones recurved; fertile 
ones with deep impressions for the reception of the seeds both on the upper inner side 
and on the back, the latter cavities partly formed by the large (4 to 6 lines long) 
ligneous or rather corky bract. Seeds 4 to 5, rarely 6 lines long, irregularly ovate or 
obovate ; wing minute, not deciduous nor adhering to the scale, as in Pinus Cembra , Fi s-*• 
P. edulis , &c, but reduced to a persistent keel on the upper end and outer edge of the seed; embryo 
with eight or rarely nine cotyledons. 
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Geographical 
