Coulter pine

Coulter pine Pinus coulteri
APinus coulteriseed cone atMount Wilson,California
Conservation status
Near Threatened(IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnospermae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Pinaceae
Genus:	Pinus
Subgenus:	P.subg.Pinus
Section:	P.sect.Trifoliae
Subsection:	P.subsect.Ponderosae
Species:	P. coulteri
Binomial name
Pinus coulteri D. Don
Natural range

Coulter pine(Pinus coulteri), orbig-cone pine,is a native of the coastal mountains ofSouthern Californiain the United States and northernBaja Californiain Mexico. Isolated groves are found as far north asClearlake, Californiaon the flanks ofMt. KonoctiandBlack Diamond Mines Regional Preserve.It is named afterThomas Coulter,an Irishbotanistand physician. The Coulter pine produces some of the heaviest cones of any pine tree, up to 5 kg (11 lb) and among conifers is exceeded only by the cones ofAraucaria bidwillii.

Although it has a limited range in the wild, the Coulter pine is a popularornamental treeand is grown in many countries.

Description

Pinus coulteriis a substantialconiferousevergreentreein thegenusPinus.The size ranges from 10–24 m (33–79 ft) tall,and a trunk diameter up to 1 m (3.3 ft). The trunk is vertical and branches horizontal to upcurved. Theleavesare needle-like, in bundles of three, glaucous gray-green, 15–30 cm (5.9–11.8 in) long and stout, 2 mm (0.079 in) thick.

The outstanding characteristic of this tree is the large, spinyconeswhich are 20–40 cm (7.9–15.7 in) long (occasionally as much as twenty inches (51 centimeters) length has been observed),23 centimeters (nine inches) in width,and weigh 2–5 kg (4.4–11.0 lb) when fresh. Each segment, or "scale", of the cone is tipped with a talon-like hook. Coulter pines produce the largest cones of any pine tree species and people are advised to wearhardhatswhen working in Coulter pine groves, although the slender cones of thesugar pineare longer. The large size of the cones, combined with the claw-like scales, has earned them the nickname "widowmakers" among locals.

Ecology

The Coulter pine is closely related to thefoothill pine,Pinus sabiniana.It is more distantly related toJeffrey pinewith which it shares habitats, and theponderosa pine.Coulter pines tend to grow in drier environments than ponderosa and Jeffery pines.

This erect, medium-sizedpineprefers south-facing slopes between 200–2,300 m (660–7,550 ft) elevation, and tolerates dry rocky soil.Pinus coulterimost often appears in mixed forests. The Coulter pine occurs in a number of forestplant associations;for example, at higher elevations forestation of theSan Jacinto MountainsCoulter Pine is co-dominant with theCalifornia black oak.Woodpeckersoften forage on the species, and peel the bark to access insects underneath.

Uses

Wildlife, especially squirrels, gather the large seeds. They were also once eaten by Native Americans.

The wood is weak and soft, so that the species is little used other than for firewood.

Pinus coulteriis cultivated as anornamental tree,planted in parks and large gardens, anddrought tolerant landscaping.The Coulter pine has gained theRoyal Horticultural Society'sAward of Garden Merit.

Gallery

• 
  Pollen cones (male cones)
• 
  Mature tree, as seen from under branches at ground level
• 
  Close-up of bark detail
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  Foliage and cones
• 
  Cones on ground in their natural setting
• 
  Large cone, found at 4,150 ft elevation in the Santa Lucia Ranger District of theLos Padres National Forest,California Coastal Rangeof theCentral Coast.
• 
  Exceptional cone example, shown with needle cluster (soda can for scale).
• 
• 
  Cone
• 
  Close-up of spiral detail
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  Close-up of barb detail
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  Seeds
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  A view of the upper portion of a mature Coulter Pine.

Bibliography

• Chase, J. Smeaton(1911)."Pinus Coulteri(Coulter-pine, Big-cone-pine, Pitch-pine, Bull-pine) ".Cone-bearing Trees of the California Mountains.Eytel, Carl(illustrations). Chicago:A.C. McClurg & Co.pp. 24–26.LCCN11004975.OCLC3477527.
• Cope, Amy B. (1993)."Pinus coulteri".Fire Effects Information System (FEIS).US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service (USFS), Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
• Earle, Christopher J., ed. (2018)."Pinus coulteri".The Gymnosperm Database.
• Farjon, A. (2013)."Pinus coulteri".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2013:e.T42352A2974687.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42352A2974687.en.
• Kral, Robert (1993)."Pinus coulteri".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 – via eFloras.org,Missouri Botanical Garden,St. Louis, MO &Harvard University Herbaria,Cambridge, MA.
• Hogan, C. Michael (2008). Stromberg, Nicklas (ed.)."Pinus coulteri".Globaltwitcher.Archived fromthe originalon 2012-02-18.
• Moore, Gerry; Kershner, Bruce; Tufts, Craig; Mathews, Daniel;Nelson, Gil;Spellenberg, Richard; Thieret, John W.; Purinton, Terry; Block, Andrew (2008).National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America.New York: Sterling. p. 86.ISBN978-1-4027-3875-3.
• "Pinus coulteri".RHS Gardening.Royal Horticultural Society.Retrieved2013-09-27.

External links

• Calflora
• Jepson Manual Treatment
• USDA Plants Profile forPinus coulteri(Coulter pine)
• Pinus coulteriin theCalPhotosphoto database,University of California, Berkeley