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Mexican White Pine
Mexican White Pine (Pinus ayacahuite; family Pinaceae) is a species of pine native to the mountains of southern Mexico and western Central America, in the Sierra Madre del Sur and the eastern end of the Eje Volcnico Transversal, between 14 and 21N latitude in the Mexican states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, Vera Cruz and Chiapas, and in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. It is confined to high altitudes, growing at 2200-3500 m. It is a large tree, regularly growing to 30-45 m and exceptionally up to 50 m tall. It is a member of the white pine group, Pinus subgenus Strobus, and like all members of that group, the leaves ('needles') are in fascicles (bundles) of five, with a deciduous sheath. The needles are finely serrated, and 9-16 cm long. The cones are long and slender, 15-40 cm long and 4-6 cm broad (closed), opening to 6-10 cm broad; the scales are thin and flexible. The seeds are small, 6-8 mm long, and have a long slender wing 18-25 mm long. It is moderately susceptible to White Pine Blister Rust (Cronartium ribicola), but in cultivation has proved somewhat less susceptible than most other American white pines (see e.g. Western White Pine, Sugar Pine). Despite its tropical origins (the natural range is entirely south of the Tropic of Cancer), it is surprisingly tolerant of cold, having survived temperatures down to nearly -30C in cultivation in Scotland and Pennsylvania, USA. It is grown as an ornamental tree in parks for its attractive foliage and very long cones, among the longest that can be grown in many temperate areas. The wood is valuable, used for general indoor construction work.
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