Loblolly Pine
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(Pinaceae Pinus taeda)
Adopted on June 23,1939.
The pine ,Pinaceae Pinus taeda,
was adopted as the Arkansas State Tree
by the Fifty-second General Assembly of
1939. Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), also
called Arkansas pine, North Carolina
pine, and oldfield pine, is the most
commercially important forest species in
the southern United States, where it is
dominant on about 11.7 million ha (29
million acres) and makes up over
one-half of the standing pine volume. It
is a medium-lived, intolerant to
moderately tolerant tree with rapid
juvenile growth. The species responds
well to silvicultural treatments and can
be managed as either even-aged or
uneven-aged natural stands, or can be
regenerated artificially and managed in
plantations.
The pine tree is a major resource of
the state's paper industry. There are
approximately 200 species of trees
native to Arkansas. With the many
hybrids, the total comes close to 300,
which is a good representation of the
nearly 1,200 different trees recognized
for the United States. Of the saw timber
grown in Arkansas, over 83% is pine,
oak, and gum.
The loblolly and shortleaf pine are
varieties of southern yellow pine found
in our state. Both varieties may grow to
be 100 feet tall and can be found in our
two National Forests-the Ouachita
National Forest and the Ozark-St.
Francis National Forest.
Description:
- One of the most common trees on
Assateague Island, the loblolly can
grow up to 100 feet tall and up to
three feet in diameter; however,
along the coast they seldom rise
more than 50 feet. Because of the
shade from these trees, a loblolly
wood will have few smaller trees or
shrubs.
- Leaf: Evergreen, 6 to 9
inches long, with (usually) three
yellow-green needles per fascicle.
- Flower: Monoecious; males
long cylindrical, red to yellow, in
clusters at branch tips; females
yellow to purple.
- Fruit: Cones are ovoid to
cylindrical and red-brown in color.
The umbo is armed with a short
spine. Cones are roughly the size of
a potato (3 to 6 inches). Maturing
September to October.
- Twig: Orange-brown in
color, fine to moderately stout.
Buds are light reddish-brown.
- Bark: Quite variable.
When young, appears brown and scaly.
Older trees are ridged and furrowed,
with somewhat apparent blocks. Very
old trees have red-brown scaly
plates.
- Form: A medium to large
tree that self-prunes well and
develops a straight trunk and an
oval, somewhat dense crown.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
|
Kingdom |
Plantae -- Plants |
Subkingdom |
Tracheobionta -- Vascular
plants |
Superdivision |
Spermatophyta – Seed plants |
Division |
Coniferophyta – Conifers |
Class |
Pinopsida – |
Order |
Pinales – |
Family |
Pinaceae – Pine family |
Genus |
Pinus L. – pine |
Species |
Pinus taeda L. –
loblolly pine |
Source:
Dendrology at Virginia Tech
U.S. Department of Agriculture
|