Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Genus: Pinus
Subgenus: Pinus
Species: P. patula
Binomial name: Pinus patula
Synonyms: Pinus oocarpa var. ochoterenai, Pinus patula var. longipedunculata, Pinus patula var. zebrina, Pinus subpatula.
Common names: Patula pine, Weeping pine, Jelecote pine, Mexican weeping pine, Spreading-leaved pine, Tecote pine, Pino patula,
Pinus patula is a small or medium-sized, wide spreading, coniferous tree native to Central America but now has a global naturalised distribution. It was introduced to New Zealand for commercial purposes and is now fully naturalised here. Pinus patula can rapidly spread and invade grassland, banks, roadsides and shrubland, where they can compete with native plants, Pinus patula reproduces through small, light wind-dispersed seeds.
Pinus patula can grow to a height of 30 m or more and attains a trunk diameter up to 1.2 m. The trunk is straight and cylindrical, sometimes forked, producing 2 or more stems. The young bark is characteristically a reddish-orange colour and is scaly. The mature bark is grey-brown and vertically ridged.
It has slender, flexible, pale yellow/green, drooping, needle-like leaves which are > 33 cm long and are arranged in groups of three. Their margins that are finely toothed.
Separate male and female cones are produced on the same tree. The small male cones are elongated and are 1 cm long and are borne in dense clusters. The mature reddish-brown female pine cones are borne singly or in small clusters. The mature female cones are not persistent, asymmetrical, 6-9 cm long, and are sessile or with a short stalk.
The seeds are dark brown to almost black, very small, about 5 mm long, with a pale brown wing about 17 mm long, slightly thickened at the base where it joins the seed.
Young shoots and clusters of male cones on top of the drooping needle-like leaves.
Young shoots and clusters of male cones. The drooping needle-like leaves are borne in groups and their bases and enclosed in a sheath.
The reddish-orange colour of the barks on the young branches. Clusters of female cones can be seen within the branches.
Male cones which produce pollen.
Male cones.
Young female cones below the male cones which are on the tip of the branches.
A year old female cones.
Last years and the previous year's female cones,
There are three needles per fascicle.
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
