Pine tree found in North America
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Pinus jeffreyi, also known as Jeffrey pine, Jeffrey's pine, yellow pine and black pine, is a North American pine tree. It is mainly found in California, but also in the westernmost part of Nevada, southwestern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It is named in honor of its botanist documenter John Jeffrey.
Description.
"Pinus jeffreyi" is a large coniferous evergreen tree, reaching tall, rarely up to tall, though smaller when growing at or near tree line. The leaves are needle-like, in bundles of three, stout, glaucous gray-green, long. The cones are long, dark purple when immature, ripening pale brown, with thinly woody scales bearing a short, sharp inward-pointing barb. The brownish seeds are long, with a large wing, measuring .
"Pinus jeffreyi" is closely related to "Pinus ponderosa" (ponderosa pine) and is similar in appearance. One way to distinguish between them is by their cones. Each has barbs at the end of the scales. The sharp "P. jeffreyi" cone scale barbs point inward, so the cone feels smooth to the palm of one's hand when rubbed down the cone. "Pinus ponderosa" cone scale barbs point outward, so feel sharp and prickly to the palm of one's hands. The memory device of 'gentle Jeffrey' and 'prickly ponderosa' can be used to differentiate between the species. Another distinguishing characteristic is that the needles of "P. jeffreyi" are glaucous, less bright green than those of "P. ponderosa", and by the stouter, heavier cones with larger seeds and inward-pointing barbs. "Pinus jeffreyi" can be somewhat distinguished from "P. ponderosa" by the relatively smaller scales of reddish-brown bark as compared to the larger plates of orangish ponderosa bark.
The scent of "P. jeffreyi" is variously described as reminiscent of vanilla, lemon, pineapple, violets, apple, and, quite commonly, butterscotch. This scent may be sampled by breaking off a shoot or some needles, or by simply smelling the resin's scent in between the plates of the bark. This scent is related to the very unusual composition of the resin, with the volatile component made up almost entirely of pure n-heptane. It is because of this peculiarity that the trees are sometimes known as gasoline trees. Easy availability of this hydrocarbon in pure form made it the basis of the modern octane rating in the late 1920s.
The largest specimen, by trunk volume, is the Eureka Valley Giant, in the Stanislaus National Forest. Its trunk contains of wood, is tall, with a diameter of .
Taxonomy.
"Pinus jeffreyi" is named for its discoverer, Scottish botanist John Jeffrey, who encountered it in 1852 near Mount Shasta. "Pinus" is Latin for pine.
Distribution and habitat.
"Pinus jeffreyi" occurs from southwest Oregon south through much of California (mainly on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada), to northern Baja California in Mexico. It is a high-altitude species; in the north of its range, it grows widely at altitude, and at in the south of its range.
"Pinus jeffreyi" is more stress tolerant than "P. ponderosa". At higher elevations, on poorer soils, in colder climates, and in drier climates, "P. jeffreyi" replaces "P. ponderosa" as the dominant tree. "Pinus jeffreyi" is also tolerant of serpentine soils and is often dominant in these conditions, even on dry sites at fairly low altitudes.
Ecology.
"Pinus jeffreyi" can hybridize with "P. ponderosa" and the "Coulter pine," however this occurrence is rare due to the fact that the pines release pollen at different times of the year.
Mammals and birds collect the seeds.
Uses.
"Pinus jeffreyi" wood is similar to ponderosa pine wood, and is used for the same purposes. Crystallized sap of "P. jeffreyi" has been eaten as candy. The exceptional purity of n-heptane distilled from "P. jeffreyi" resin led to n-heptane being selected as the zero point on the octane rating scale of petrol.
As it mainly consists of n-heptane, "P. jeffreyi" resin is a poor source of turpentine. Before "Pinus jeffreyi" was distinguished from ponderosa pine as a distinct species in 1853, resin distillers operating in its range suffered a number of "inexplicable" explosions during distillation, now known to have been caused by the unwitting use of Jeffrey pine resin.
References.
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