Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Pinus palustris

The Longleaf Pine (long needle pine) is a pine native to the southeast United States, found along the coastal plain from eastern Texas to southeast Virginia extending into northern and all the way to South Florida. It reaches a height of 30-35 m (100-115 ft) and a diameter of 0.7 m (28"). Longleaf Pine takes 100 to 150 years to become full size and can live to 500 years old.

The bark is thick, reddish-brown, and scaly. The leaves are dark green, needle-like, and occur in bundles of three. They are often twisted and are remarkably long 20-45 cm (8-18") in length. It is one of the two southeastern U.S. pines with long needles, the other being Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii.)

The scientific name meaning "of marshes" is a misunderstanding when originally the species was described based on the view of Longleaf Pine forests with temporary winter flooding.

Florida Pine

1 comment:

  1. The real name is Dade County Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa)
    Other Name: Southern Slash Pine
    I think that our local pine is a little different then the regular Pinus elliottii var. densa

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