Pinus contorta
Lodgepole pine | |
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Pinus contorta subsp. contorta in Anacortes Community Forest Lands, Washington | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Gymnospermae |
Division: | Pinophyta |
Class: | Pinopsida |
Order: | Pinales |
Family: | Pinaceae |
Genus: | Pinus |
Subgenus: | P. subg. Pinus
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Section: | P. sect. Trifoliae
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Subsection: | P. subsect. Contortae
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Species: | P. contorta
|
Binomial name | |
Pinus contorta | |
Subspecies | |
4, see text | |
Distribution map:
|
Pinus contorta, with the common names lodgepole pine and shore pine, and also known as twisted pine,
Description
Depending on subspecies, Pinus contorta grows as an evergreen shrub or tree. The shrub form is krummholz and is approximately 1 to 3 meters (3 to 10 ft) high. The thin and narrow-crowned tree can grow 40 to 50 m (130 to 160 ft) high and achieve up to 2 m (7 ft) in diameter at chest height.[3] The murrayana subspecies is the tallest. The crown is rounded and the top of the tree is flattened. In dense forests, the tree has a slim, conical crown. The formation of twin trees is common in some populations in British Columbia. The elastic branches stand upright or overhang and are difficult to break. The branches are covered with short shoots that are easy to remove.[4][5][6]
The species name is contorta because of the twisted, bent pines (shore pine) (P. banksiana).
The bark of lodgepole pine is thin, scaly and grayish brown.[7] Shore pine bark is somewhat thick and corky, fissuring into a checkered pattern.[7] Some lodgepole pines have been reported in low elevations with features closer to those of the shore pine, including the bark.[7]
Tamarack pine can grow up to centuries old and lodgepole pines in Yellowstone Park have survived over 300 years.[7]
Foliage
The egg-shaped growth buds are reddish-brown and between 20 and 30 millimeters (3⁄4 and 1+1⁄4 in) long. They are short pointed, slightly rotated, and very resinous. Spring growth starts in beginning of April and the annual growth is completed by early July. The dark and mostly shiny needles are pointed and 4 to 8 centimeters (1+1⁄2 to 3 in) long and 0.9 to 2 mm (1⁄32 to 3⁄32 in) wide. The needle edge is weakly to strongly serrated. The needles are in pairs on short shoots and rotated about the shoots' longitudinal axes. In Alberta above 2,000 m (6,600 ft), 1 to 5 needles occur per short shoot. A population with a high proportion of three-needled short shoots occurs in the Yukon. Needles live an average of four to six years, with a maximum of 13 years.[5] The foliage of lodgepole pine is yellow-green as compared to shore pine, which is dark green.[7]
Cones
The cones of lodgepole and shore pine begin to be produced when the trees are about ten years old.[7] The cones are 3–7 cm (1–3 in) long, with prickles on the scales.[7]
Many populations of the
Distribution
Pinus contorta occurs from upper, dry
Lodgepole and shore pine can be found intermingled (and apparently hybridized) north of
Ecology
Pinus contorta is a
The natural fire regime for this species is primarily driven by climate. The fires occur most often after years of drought. Forests in the upper montane to subalpine region experience much moisture in the winter via snow. The density of
An example of the climate that plays a huge role in the fire regime of the species is quite complex. There are three different oscillations that play a major role in droughts. These are the
Porcupines consume the inner bark of lodgepole pine.[7]
Threats
Larger members of the species are attacked by
A study released in 2011 concluded that Pinus contorta could experience significant reductions in distribution due to climate change by the late 21st century.[22][23]
As an invasive species
Pinus contorta is considered a serious invasive species of wilding conifer in New Zealand, along with several other western North American pine species. It is listed on the National Pest Plant Accord and is prohibited from sale, commercial propagation, and distribution.
Subspecies
There are four subspecies of Pinus contorta, and one of them is sometimes considered to have two varieties.[24] The subspecies are sometimes treated at the rank of variety.[2][3][25]
Cone | Image | Subspecies | Common name | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pinus contorta subsp. bolanderi | Bolander's beach pine, Bolander pine, Also treated as Pinus contorta subsp. contorta var. bolanderi, in which case what is treated here as Pinus contorta subsp. contorta is the variety Pinus contorta subsp. contorta var. contorta.[26] | near threatened by fires and development
| ||
Pinus contorta subsp. contorta | shore pine | Pacific Coast, southern Alaska to northwest California.[8][28][29] | ||
Pinus contorta subsp. murrayana | tamarack pine, or Sierra lodgepole pine[30] | Cascade Range from Oregon into northern California; the Sierra Nevada, the Transverse Ranges of southern California (including the San Bernardino Mountains, the Peninsular Ranges into northern Baja California, and the Spring Mountains of southern Nevada).[31][8][32] | ||
Pinus contorta subsp. latifolia | lodgepole pine |
Uses
Construction
The common name "lodgepole pine" comes from the custom of
Food
Native Americans consumed the inner bark of lodgepole pine to prevent starvation for themselves and their horses.[7] The lodgepole pine cambium layer's edibility is dependent on thickness, consistency, and sweetness.[37]
Medicinal
The
Cultivation
Pinus contorta is cultivated as an
- "Chief Joseph", a dwarf variety of Pinus contorta var. latifolia grown for its yellow winter needles
- "Spaan's Dwarf", a dwarf variety of Pinus contorta var. contorta that grows wider than it grows tall
The cultivar "Chief Joseph" has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[39][40]
Emblem
Lodgepole pine is the provincial tree of Alberta, Canada.[41]
References
- . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ a b c "Pinus contorta". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
- ^ a b Kral, Robert (1993). "Pinus contorta". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 2. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 12 September 2010 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
- ^ a b c Giblin, David, ed. (2015). "Pinus contorta". WTU Herbarium Image Collection. Burke Museum, University of Washington. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
- ^ ISBN 978-3-933203-80-9.
- ^ Klinkenberg, Brian, ed. (2014). "Pinus contorta". E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
- ^ OCLC 1141235469.
- ^ ISBN 978-90-04-17718-5.
- ^ "Plants and Trees: lodgepole pine". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
- ^ "Pinus contorta var. contorta: Shore Pine". Oregon State University. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
- ^ "Forests of Crater Lake National Park: Lodgepole Pine (Pinus Contorta)". Crater Lake Institute. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
- ^ a b Cope, Amy B. (1993). "Pinus contorta var. contorta". Fire Effects Information System (FEIS). US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service (USFS), Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
- ^ Anderson, Michelle D. (2003). "Pinus contorta var. latifolia". Fire Effects Information System (FEIS). US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service (USFS), Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
- bioRxiv 10.1101/023267.
- ^ Cope, Amy B. (1993). "Pinus contorta var. murrayana". Fire Effects Information System (FEIS). US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service (USFS), Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
- ISBN 978-1-4027-3875-3.
- ^ a b Sullivan, Steven. K. (2015). "Pinus contorta". Wildflower Search. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
- ^ ISSN 0006-3568.
- S2CID 32063636. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
- PMID 17468111.
- PMID 22677953.
- S2CID 54177131.
- ^ Rudolf, John Collins (28 February 2011). "Climate Change Takes Toll on the Lodgepole Pine". Green: A Blog About Energy and the Environment. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
- ^ Conifer Specialist Group (1998). "Pinus contorta var. bolanderi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1998. Retrieved 12 May 2006.
- ^ "Pinus contorta". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – via The Plant List. Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online
- ^ Jepson Flora Project (ed.). "Pinus contorta subsp. bolanderi". Jepson eFlora. The Jepson Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley.
- ^ "Pinus contorta var. bolanderi". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
- ^ "Pinus contorta ssp. contorta". Calflora. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database.
- ^ "Pinus contorta var. contorta". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
- OCLC 3477527.
- ^ "Pinus contorta var. murrayana". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
- ^ "Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana". Calflora. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database.
- ^ "Pinus contorta var. latifolia". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Pinus contorta". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
- ISBN 978-1-55105-058-4.
- ^ Skógræktin. "Forestry in Iceland". Skógræktin. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- S2CID 7570681.
- ^ "NAEB". umich.edu.
- ^ "RHS Plantfinder – Pinus contorta 'Chief Joseph'". Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ^ "AGM Plants – Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 78. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ "Emblems of Alberta". Alberta Culture and Tourism. 14 June 2017. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
External links
- Jepson eFlora, The Jepson Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley
- University of Wisconsin: Lodgepole forest webpage
- Virginia Tech dendrology website: Pinus contorta
- Guardian (U.K.) article: "Plague of beetles raises climate change fears for American beauty"
- Picea sitchensis – information, genetic conservation units and related resources. European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN)
- Pinus contorta in the CalPhotos photo database, University of California, Berkeley
- Lotan, James E.; Critchfield, William B. (1990). "Pinus contorta". In Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H. (eds.). Conifers. Silvics of North America. Vol. 1. Washington, D.C.: United States Forest Service (USFS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – via Southern Research Station.
- "Pinus contorta". Plants for a Future.