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