Texas Pinyon
Encyclopedia
Pinus remota, commonly known as the Texas Pinyon or Papershell Pinyon, is a pine
in the pinyon pine
group, native to North America
.
, United States
, on the south edge of the Edwards Plateau
and the hills between Fort Stockton
and Presidio
, and in northeastern Mexico
, mainly in Coahuila
but also just into Chihuahua and Nuevo León
. It occurs at low to moderate altitudes, from 450-700 m on the Edwards Plateau and from 1200-1800 m in the rest of its range. It is scarce, with small, scattered populations usually on dry, rocky sites and arroyos
where bare rock lowers the likelihood of wildfire
spreading easily.
or large shrub
, reaching 3-10 m tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 40 cm. The bark is thick, rough and scaly. The leaves
('needles') are in mixed pairs and threes (mostly pairs), slender, 3-5 cm long, and dull gray-green, with stomata on both inner and outer surfaces. The cones
are squat globose, 3-5 cm long and broad when closed, green at first, ripening yellow-buff when 18–20 months old, with only a small number of thin scales, with typically 5-12 fertile scales.
The cones open to 4-6 cm broad when mature, holding the seed
s on the scales after opening. The seeds are 10-12 mm long, with a very thin shell, a white endosperm
, and a vestigial 1-2 mm wing; they are dispersed by the Western Scrub Jay, which plucks the seeds out of the open cones. The jay, which uses the seeds as a 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.
, only being discovered to be distinct in 1966 when US botanist Elbert L. Little noticed that the seed shells of some pinyons in Texas were very thin compared to those of some others. He treated it as a variety
of Mexican Pinyon, Pinus cembroides var. remota. Subsequent research found other differences, and it is now usually treated as a distinct species
, probably more closely related to the Colorado Pinyon
P. edulis, which shares thin seed shells and needles mostly in pairs. Texas Pinyon differs from both Mexican and Colorado Pinyons in the very small, recessed umbo on the cone scales (larger and knob-like on other pinyons).
The edible seeds are occasionally collected like those of other pinyons, and sold as pine nut
s; however, in its barren, dry habitat, infrequent and small crops are normal, reducing its economic value. It is occasionally planted as an ornamental tree, where its remarkable tolerance of drought and even semi-desert conditions makes it valuable in hot, dry areas.
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 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...
.
Range
The range is in western 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...
, on the south edge of the Edwards Plateau
Edwards Plateau
The Edwards Plateau is a region of west-central Texas which is bounded by the Balcones Fault to the south and east, the Llano Uplift and the Llano Estacado to the north, and the Pecos River and Chihuahuan Desert to the west. San Angelo, Austin, San Antonio and Del Rio roughly outline the area...
and the hills between Fort Stockton
Fort Stockton, Texas
Fort Stockton is a city in Pecos County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,846 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pecos County.-Geography:Fort Stockton is located at ....
and Presidio
Presidio, Texas
Presidio is a city in Presidio County, Texas, United States. It stands on the Rio Grande , on the opposite side of the U.S.-Mexico border from Ojinaga, Chihuahua. The population was 4,167 at the 2000 census....
, and in northeastern 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...
, mainly in Coahuila
Coahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
but also just into Chihuahua and Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
. It occurs at low to moderate altitudes, from 450-700 m on the Edwards Plateau and from 1200-1800 m in the rest of its range. It is scarce, with small, scattered populations usually on dry, rocky sites and arroyos
Arroyo (creek)
An arroyo , a Spanish word translated as brook, and also called a wash is usually a dry creek or stream bed—gulch that temporarily or seasonally fills and flows after sufficient rain. Wadi is a similar term in Africa. In Spain, a rambla has a similar meaning to arroyo.-Types and processes:Arroyos...
where bare rock lowers the likelihood of wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
spreading easily.
Description
Pinus remota is a small treeTree
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...
or large shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
, reaching 3-10 m tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 40 cm. The bark is thick, rough and scaly. 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 (mostly pairs), slender, 3-5 cm long, and dull gray-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 squat globose, 3-5 cm long and broad when closed, green at first, ripening yellow-buff when 18–20 months old, with only a small number of thin scales, with typically 5-12 fertile scales.
The cones open to 4-6 cm 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 10-12 mm long, with a very thin shell, a white 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 1-2 mm wing; they are dispersed by the Western Scrub Jay, which plucks the seeds out of the open cones. The jay, which uses the seeds as a 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
Texas Pinyon was previously included in Mexican PinyonMexican Pinyon
The Mexican Pinyon ' is a pine in the pinyon pine group, native to western North America.-Distribution:The range extends from westernmost Texas, United States , south through much of Mexico, occurring widely along the Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre Occidental ranges, and more rarely in the...
, only being discovered to be distinct in 1966 when US botanist Elbert L. Little noticed that the seed shells of some pinyons in Texas were very thin compared to those of some others. He treated it as a variety
Variety (biology)
In botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species: as such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name....
of Mexican Pinyon, Pinus cembroides var. remota. Subsequent research found other differences, and it is now usually treated as a 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...
, probably more closely related to the Colorado Pinyon
Colorado Pinyon
The Colorado Pinyon, Two-needle Pinyon, or Piñon Pine, ', is a pine in the pinyon pine group whose ancestor was a member of the Madro-Tertiary Flora and is native to the United States....
P. edulis, which shares thin seed shells and needles mostly in pairs. Texas Pinyon differs from both Mexican and Colorado Pinyons in the very small, recessed umbo on the cone scales (larger and knob-like on other pinyons).
The edible seeds are occasionally collected like those of other pinyons, and sold as 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....
s; however, in its barren, dry habitat, infrequent and small crops are normal, reducing its economic value. It is occasionally planted as an ornamental tree, where its remarkable tolerance of drought and even semi-desert conditions makes it valuable in hot, dry areas.