Conifer Trees Database

subgenus Pinus, section Trifoliae (Duhamel), subsection Ponderosae (Louden).

Pinus durangensis, first described in 1942 by Maximino Martínez (1888-1964), is commonly known as Durango pine, as well is pino blanco or pino real in the Spanish language. It's populations are mostly abundant in the Mexican state of Durango, hence the species name.

Ethnobotany. This is one of Mexico's more important timber trees, and logging is a widespread and commercially important activity in its range. Jessy Perry reports that logging has greatly reduced its range. It is also locally used for firewood and carpentry.

Description. Durango pine is an evergreen coniferous species of tree that grows to mature heights of 100 to 125 feet (30 - 40 m) tall with a trunk up to 20 to 32 inches (50 - 80 cm) in diameter, measured at breast height. The tree's crown is dense and pyramidal when young, becoming more rounded and shallow with age. Wood is light, soft, yellowish in color.

• Branches are drooping to horizontal.
• Bark is dark brown in color, rough, and longitudinally fissured into scaly plates.
• Branchlets are thick, stiff, rough and scaly.
• Leaves (needles) are borne in bundles 5 (occasionally up to 7 or 8) per fascicle. They measure 6 to 8 inches (15 - 20 cm) long and 0.32 to 0.36 inch (0.8 - 0.9 mm) wide. Needles are stiff and erect with finely serrate margins, colored shiny light-green to waxy Blue-green with stomata on all surfaces, and 2 to 3 (sometimes 4) medial resin canals.
• Fascicle sheaths are 0.6 to 0.72 inch (15 - 18 mm) long, persistent for the life of the fascicle, brown in color and scaly.
• Pollen cones are 0.6 to 1.2 inches (15 - 30 mm) long and brownish yellow in color.
• Seed cones are usually borne in groups of 2 to 3, comprised of 75 - 120 seed scales, measuring 2 to 2.8 inches (50 - 70 mm) long, on 0.2 to 0.32 inch (5 - 8 mm) peduncles (appearing sessile). They mature in December and January and promptly open and disperse their seed, remaining on the tree for some months thereafter. When they fall, the peduncle and some few scales remain on the tree.
• Cone scales are stiff and hard. Apophyses are raised, subpyramidal, transversely keeled, and slightly reflexed. Umbos are dorsal, gray, and raised, bearing a sharp, often recurved, persistent prickle.
• Seeds are gray, measuring 0.2 to 0.28 inch (5-7 mm) long with a 0.48 to 0.6 inch (12 - 15 mm) long and 0.2 to 0.28 inch (5 - 7) wide articulate wing.