Pinus durangensis

Pinus durangensis
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Pinaceae
Genus:	Pinus
Subgenus:	Pinus
Species:	P. durangensis
Binomial name
Pinus durangensis Martínez
File:Pinus durangensis range map 1.png
Natural range of Pinus durangensis

Pinus durangensis, the Durango pine, is a pine tree species endemic to the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range of Northwestern Mexico.

This species is related to Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa pine), and included in the same subsection Ponderosae.

Distribution

The tree is found from Chihuahua and Sonora, southwards through Durango and Jalisco, to Michoacán. It is a moderately high altitude species, growing at 1,500–2,800 metres (4,900–9,200 ft).

Description

Pinus durangensis is an evergreen tree reaching 25–40 metres (82–131 ft) in height, with a trunk up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) in diameter and a broad, rounded crown. The bark is thick, dark gray-brown, and scaly or fissured.

The leaves are needle-like, dark green, five to seven per fascicle (mostly six, this high number unique in the genus), 14–24 cm long and 0.7-1.1 mm wide, the persistent fascicle sheath 1.5–3 cm long.

The cones are ovoid, 5–9 cm long, green ripening brown, opening when mature in spring to 5–6 cm broad. The seeds are winged, 5–6 mm long with a 1.5-2.5 cm wing. Pollination is in late spring, with the cones maturing 20–22 months after.

References

• Conifer Specialist Group (1998). Pinus durangensis. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
• Gymnosperm Database: Pinus durangensis
• Farjon, A. & Styles, B. T. (1997). Pinus (Pinaceae). Flora Neotropica Monograph 75: 171-175.