Pines - General Characteristics, Evolution And Classification, Life Cycle, Economic Importance, Bristlecone Pine, Pine Cones
conifers fir plants species
The pines are species of trees in the genus Pinus, of the family Pinaceae and phylum Coniferophyta, the cone-bearing plants (conifers). Relatives of the pines include other conifers such as fir, Douglas fir, spruce, hemlock, cypress, and redwood. Pines and these other conifers are all considered gymnosperms, because they bear their seeds naked, rather than within an ovary as in the angiosperms (flowering plants). There are about 100 different species of pines in the world.
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All of the pines are woody plants. The mugo pine (Pinus mugo), native to the Alps of Europe, is one of the smallest pines. At maturity, it is really more of a bush than a tree, and is often planted in gardens of Europe and North America. Many other pines which are native to North America are large trees which can grow 197-262 ft (60-80 m) or more in height. The leaves of all pines are needle-like …
The oldest known fossil of the pine family (Pinaceae) is a cone from the Lower Cretaceous period, about 130 million years ago. The structure of this fossilized pine cone is similar to that of modern cones of the Pinus genus. Today, there are about 100 species of pines. Pines grow throughout the Northern Hemisphere, and only one species (Pinus merkusii) is native to the Southern Hemisphere. More th…
All species of pines are monoecious, in that male and female reproductive structures occur on the same plant. Once a pine tree reaches a certain stage of maturity, it forms male and female reproductive structures, termed strobili (singular: strobilus). The strobili of pines are unisexual, in that they contain either male or female reproductive organs, but not both. The male strobili are typically …
Pines are very important economically. The wood of many species is used as timber for construction and furniture. Pines are also used for the manufacture of turpentine, rosin, pulp, and paper. One of the most economically important pines of the 1800s was the eastern white pine (Pinus strobus). This pine once dominated forested regions in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, much of New England, and…
The bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata) is an important species to scientists because it lives so long, and has tree rings can provide important clues about the climate of previous eras. This species grows in the arid mountainous regions of California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado at an elevation of about 9,840 ft (3,000 m). Bristlecone pine grows very slowly, but can live for several thousand years. …
One of the most familiar feature of pines is their cones. Biologically, a pine cone is simply a fertilized female strobilus containing seeds within. While their economic significance is not as great as that of pines, which are harvested for timber (see above), the pinyon pines (Pinus cembroides, P. monophylla, P. quadrifolia, and P. edulis ) are prolific producers of edible pine "nuts,�…
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Division of Endangered Species List includes no pine species. However, this list does not cover non-U.S. species, and there are endangered pine species in Mexico and in Asia. The rapid disappearance of the pine forests of Mexico and Central America have been largely due to disease, insects and human activity. Mexico's population increases by over …
Tree conservationists have learned that when forests are eliminated, the trees that grow back are seldom the same ones that were there before. The pine trees felled in Michigan in the late nineteenth century never grew back, and were replaced by oaks and aspens, which the gypsy moth is fond of. The hardwoods in the southern part of the country were cut to make room for pines that could be harveste…
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