keys to the vascular plants of east texas - Botanical Research ...

398 PINACEAE/PINUS
1. Needles (20–)25–45 cm long, 3 per bundle; terminal buds silvery white, 3–4 cm long; bundle
sheaths of new needles on young twigs 25 mm or more long; seed with body ca. 10 mm long
and wing 30–40 mm long __________________________________________________________ P. palustris
1. Needles 5–23(–29) cm long, 2–3 per bundle; terminal buds brownish, 0.5–2 cm long; bundle
sheaths of new needles on young twigs 20 mm or less long; seed with body 5–7 mm long and
wing 12–20 mm long.
2. Needles (5–)7–11(–12) cm long, usually 2(–3) per bundle; bundle sheaths 5–10(–15) mm long;
terminal buds 0.5–0.7(–1) cm long; mature seed cones 4–6(–7) cm long; pollen cones 15–20
mm long at time of pollen release; bark with evident resin pockets _______________________ P. echinata
2. Needles 12–23(–29) cm long, 2–3 per bundle; bundle sheaths (10–)12–20 mm long; terminal
buds 1–2 cm long; mature seed cones 6–18(–20) cm long; pollen cones 20–40 mm long at
time of pollen release; bark without resin pockets.
3. Needles almost always 3 per bundle (very rarely 2), yellowish green to grayish green, not
glossy; seed cones sessile or nearly so, mostly dull yellow-brown; surface of the exposed,
thickened, apical portion of each seed cone scale (= apophysis) dull; pollen cones yellow
to yellow-brown; terminal buds 1–1.2(–2) cm long _____________________________________ P. taeda
3. Needles 2–3 per bundle, at least some bundles with 2, usually dark green, glossy; seed
cones short-stalked, light chocolate brown; surface of exposed, thickened, apical portion
of each seed cone scale lustrous as if varnished; pollen cones purplish; terminal buds 1.5–
2 cm long ____________________________________________________________________ P. elliottii
Pinus echinata Mill., (spiny), SHORTLEAF PINE, SHORTLEAF YELLOW PINE, LONGTAG PINE. Bark on
older stems red-brown and separated into irregular, flat, scaly plates, with evident resin pockets;
new twigs greenish brown to red-brown, red-brown to gray with age, slender (ca. 5 mm or
less thick); terminal buds 0.5–0.7(–1) cm long; pollen cones 15–20 mm long at time of pollen release,
yellow- to pale purple-green; seed cones 4–6(–7) cm long, red-brown, becoming gray with
age, the scales with an elongate to short, stout, sharp prickle. Uplands, dry forests; native to
Pineywoods and Post Oak Savannah as far w as Brazos, Leon (Turner 2003), Henderson (Correll
1966b), Red River (Little 1971), and Lamar (Wilson & Hacker 1986; Wilson 1990) cos.; spreading
from cultivation in Fannin Co. (BRIT) in Red River drainage; e U.S. from NY s to FL w to MO
and TX. According to Kral (1993), although this species is valuable for timber and pulpwood, it
is susceptible to root rot. g
Pinus elliottii Engelm., (for Stephen Elliott, 1771–1831, American botanist), SLASH PINE, PITCH
PINE, YELLOW SLASH PINE. Bark on older stems orange- to purple-brown, broken up into rather
large flat flakes, without resin pockets; twigs orange-brown, darker brown with age, relatively
slender (to 10 mm thick); terminal buds 1.5–2 cm long; pollen cones 30–40 mm long at time of
pollen release, purplish; seed cones (7–)9–18(–20) cm long, light chocolate brown, the scales
with a short stout prickle. Cultivated and used in reforestation, naturalized in TX mainly in the
Pineywoods and Post Oak Savannah; also n Gulf Prairies and Marshes and spreading from cultivation
on sandy soils in Hood Co. in West Cross Timbers and in Denton and Tarrant cos. (R.
O’Kennon, pers. obs.) in the East Cross Timbers; native to the se U.S. from SC s to FL w to e LA.
This species is fast growing but is susceptible to ice damage. It is used for naval stores (e.g., turpentine)
and for lumber and pulpwood and is “much planted in subtropical and warm temperate
climates worldwide, particularly in Brazil” (Kral 1993).
Pinus palustris Mill., (of marshes), LONGLEAF PINE, LONGLEAF YELLOW PINE, LONGSTRAW PINE.
Bark on older stems orange-brown, of thin papery scales, usually thickly plated on large trees,
without resin pockets; twigs orange-brown, darker with age, stout (to 20 mm thick); pollen
cones 30–80 mm long at time of pollen release, purplish; seed cones 15–25 cm long, dull brown,
the scales with a short reflexed prickle. Sandy soils; primarily s part of the Pineywoods; se U.S.
from VA s to FL w to AR and TX. Recurrent low-intensity fire is critical for the maintenance of