Mexican Pinyon
Encyclopedia
The Mexican Pinyon is a pine
in the pinyon pine
group, native to western North America
.
, United States
(where it is restricted to the Chisos and Davis Mountains
), south through much of Mexico
, occurring widely along the Sierra Madre Oriental
and Sierra Madre Occidental
ranges, and more rarely in the eastern Eje Volcánico Transversal range. It lives in areas with little rainfall, which fluctuates between 380 millimetres (15 in) to 640 millimetres (25.2 in), the subspecies orizabensis (Pinus orizabensis) is found farther south in the state of Veracruz
. There is also a disjunct population in the Sierra de la Laguna
of southern Baja California Sur
. It occurs at moderate altitudes, mostly from 1600 metres (5,249.3 ft) to 2400 metres (7,874 ft).
Pinus cembroides is a small to medium-size tree
, reaching 8 metres (26.2 ft) to 20 metres (65.6 ft) tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 50 centimetres (19.7 in). The bark is dark brown, thick and deeply fissured at the base of the trunk. The leaves
('needles') are in mixed pairs and threes, slender, 3 centimetres (1.2 in) to 6 centimetres (2.4 in) long, and dull yellowish green, with stomata on both inner and outer surfaces.
The cones
are globose, 3 centimetres (1.2 in) to 4 centimetres (1.6 in) long and broad when closed, green at first, ripening yellow-brown when 18–20 months old, with only a small number of thick scales, with typically 5-12 fertile scales. The cones open to 4 centimetres (1.6 in) to 5 centimetres (2 in) broad when mature, holding the seed
s on the scales after opening. The seeds are 10 millimetre (0.393700787401575 in) to 12 millimetre (0.47244094488189 in) long, with a thick shell, a pink endosperm
, and a vestigial 2 millimetre (0.078740157480315 in) wing; they are dispersed by the Mexican Jay
, which plucks the seeds out of the open cones. The jay, which uses the seeds as a major food resource, stores many of the seeds for later use, and some of these stored seeds are not used and are able to grow into new trees.
described, named by Zuccarini
in 1832. Many of the other pinyon pines have been treated as varieties
or subspecies
of it at one time or another in the past, but research in the last 10–50 years has shown that most are distinct species
. Some botanists still include Johann's Pinyon
and Orizaba Pinyon
in Mexican Pinyon; the former accounts for records of "Mexican Pinyon" in southern Arizona
and New Mexico
.
Mexican Pinyon is a relatively non-variable species, with constant morphology over the entire range except for the disjunct
population in the Sierra de la Laguna pine-oak forests
of Baja California Sur; this is generally treated as a subspecies, Pinus cembroides subsp. lagunae, although some botanists treat it as a separate species, P. lagunae. This subspecies differs from the type in having slightly longer leaves, between 4 centimetres (1.6 in) and 7 centimetres (2.8 in) and longer, narrower cones, up to 5.5 centimetres (2.2 in) long.
The seeds are widely collected in Mexico, being the main edible pine nut
in the region.
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
in the pinyon pine
Pinyon pine
The pinyon pine group grows in the southwestern United States and in Mexico. The trees yield edible pinyon nuts, which were a staple of the Native Americans, and are still widely eaten...
group, native to western North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Distribution
The range extends from westernmost TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(where it is restricted to the Chisos and Davis Mountains
Davis Mountains
The Davis Mountains are a range of mountains in West Texas, located near Fort Davis, after which they are named. They are a popular site for camping and hiking and the region includes Fort Davis National Historic Site and Davis Mountains State Park...
), south through much of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, occurring widely along the Sierra Madre Oriental
Sierra Madre Oriental
The Sierra Madre Oriental is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico.-Setting:Spanning the Sierra Madre Oriental runs from Coahuila south through Nuevo León, southwest Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, and Hidalgo to northern Puebla, where it joins with the east-west running Eje Volcánico...
and Sierra Madre Occidental
Sierra Madre Occidental
The Sierra Madre Occidental is a mountain range in western Mexico.-Setting:The range runs north to south, from just south of the Sonora–Arizona border southeast through eastern Sonora, western Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, Nayarit, Jalisco, Aguascalientes to Guanajuato, where it joins...
ranges, and more rarely in the eastern Eje Volcánico Transversal range. It lives in areas with little rainfall, which fluctuates between 380 millimetres (15 in) to 640 millimetres (25.2 in), the subspecies orizabensis (Pinus orizabensis) is found farther south in the state of Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
. There is also a disjunct population in the Sierra de la Laguna
Sierra de la Laguna
The Sierra de la Laguna is a mountain range on the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico. It lies at the southern end of the peninsula in the state of Baja California Sur, and is the southernmost range of the Peninsular Ranges....
of southern Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur , is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state on October 8, 1974, the area was known as the South Territory of Baja California. It has an area of , or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises...
. It occurs at moderate altitudes, mostly from 1600 metres (5,249.3 ft) to 2400 metres (7,874 ft).
Description
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
, reaching 8 metres (26.2 ft) to 20 metres (65.6 ft) tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 50 centimetres (19.7 in). The bark is dark brown, thick and deeply fissured at the base of the trunk. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
('needles') are in mixed pairs and threes, slender, 3 centimetres (1.2 in) to 6 centimetres (2.4 in) long, and dull yellowish green, with stomata on both inner and outer surfaces.
The cones
Conifer cone
A cone is an organ on plants in the division Pinophyta that contains the reproductive structures. The familiar woody cone is the female cone, which produces seeds. The male cones, which produce pollen, are usually herbaceous and much less conspicuous even at full maturity...
are globose, 3 centimetres (1.2 in) to 4 centimetres (1.6 in) long and broad when closed, green at first, ripening yellow-brown when 18–20 months old, with only a small number of thick scales, with typically 5-12 fertile scales. The cones open to 4 centimetres (1.6 in) to 5 centimetres (2 in) broad when mature, holding the seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s on the scales after opening. The seeds are 10 millimetre (0.393700787401575 in) to 12 millimetre (0.47244094488189 in) long, with a thick shell, a pink endosperm
Endosperm
Endosperm is the tissue produced inside the seeds of most flowering plants around the time of fertilization. It surrounds the embryo and provides nutrition in the form of starch, though it can also contain oils and protein. This makes endosperm an important source of nutrition in human diet...
, and a vestigial 2 millimetre (0.078740157480315 in) wing; they are dispersed by the Mexican Jay
Mexican Jay
The Mexican Jay, Aphelocoma wollweberi, formerly known as the Gray-breasted Jay, is a New World jay native to the Sierra Madre Oriental, Sierra Madre Occidental, and Central Plateau of Mexico. It reaches north to eastern Arizona, western New Mexico and western Texas in the United States...
, which plucks the seeds out of the open cones. The jay, which uses the seeds as a major food resource, stores many of the seeds for later use, and some of these stored seeds are not used and are able to grow into new trees.
History
Mexican Pinyon was the first pinyon pinePinyon pine
The pinyon pine group grows in the southwestern United States and in Mexico. The trees yield edible pinyon nuts, which were a staple of the Native Americans, and are still widely eaten...
described, named by Zuccarini
Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini
Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini was a German botanist, Professor of Botany at the University of München. He worked extensively with Philipp Franz von Siebold, assisting in describing his collections from Japan, but also described plants discovered in other areas, including Mexico.-References:...
in 1832. Many of the other pinyon pines have been treated as varieties
Variety (biology)
In botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species: as such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name....
or subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of it at one time or another in the past, but research in the last 10–50 years has shown that most are distinct species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. Some botanists still include Johann's Pinyon
Johann's Pinyon
Pinus johannis, the Johann's Pinyon, is a pine in the pinyon pine group, native to North America. The range extends from southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico, United States, south in Mexico along the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Sierra Madre Oriental to southern Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí...
and Orizaba Pinyon
Orizaba Pinyon
The Orizaba Pinyon, Pinus orizabensis, is a pine in the pinyon pine group, endemic to central Mexico. It is considered also as a sub-species of Pinus cembroides which is classified as Pinus cembroides orizabensis...
in Mexican Pinyon; the former accounts for records of "Mexican Pinyon" in southern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
Mexican Pinyon is a relatively non-variable species, with constant morphology over the entire range except for the disjunct
Disjunct distribution
In biology, a taxon with a disjunct distribution is one that has two or more groups that are related but widely separated from each other geographically...
population in the Sierra de la Laguna pine-oak forests
Sierra de la Laguna pine-oak forests
The Sierra de la Laguna pine-oak forests is a subtropical coniferous forest ecoregion, found in the Sierra de la Laguna range at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, in the state of Baja California Sur of Mexico.-Setting:...
of Baja California Sur; this is generally treated as a subspecies, Pinus cembroides subsp. lagunae, although some botanists treat it as a separate species, P. lagunae. This subspecies differs from the type in having slightly longer leaves, between 4 centimetres (1.6 in) and 7 centimetres (2.8 in) and longer, narrower cones, up to 5.5 centimetres (2.2 in) long.
The seeds are widely collected in Mexico, being the main edible pine nut
Pine nut
Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pines . About 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough to be worth harvesting; in other pines the seeds are also edible, but are too small to be of great value as a human food....
in the region.