Pinaceae FAMILY Critically Endangered

Pinus torreyana

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

The wood, sawdust and resins from various species of pine can cause dermatitis in sensitive people[ 222 Title A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Publication Author Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. Publisher Houghton Mifflin Co. Year 1990 ISBN 0395467225 Description A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties. ].

Botanical Description

Pinus torreyana is an evergreen tree with a rounded to flattened or irregular crown; it usually grows up to 15 metres tall, occasionally reaching 23 metres in the wild and up to 33 metres or more in cultivation. The bole is usually crooked or leaning, up to 100cm in diameter[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. , 1212 Title New Trees Publication Author Grimshaw J.; Bayton R.; Wilks H. Publisher Kew Publishing; London Year 2009 ISBN 1842461737 Description Provides comprehensive botanical descriptions and horticultural commentary on over 800 tree species that have been introduced to cultivation in recent decades. ]. The seeds have a long history of use as a food, the native Americans have long been tending the trees and planting the seeds to extend its range. Due to its rarity, this species is generally protected by law and is not exploited for its wood. It is unclear if the seeds are still harvested from the wild for food. The tree is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental, where it can grow considerably taller and straighter than the wild stands. Pinus torreyanaThe plant is classified as 'Critically Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeSouth-western N. America - southwestern California.

HabitatLow coastal bluffs[ 229 Title The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Publication Author Elias. T. Publisher Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. Year 1980 ISBN 0442238622 Description A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions. ]. Found in the dry fogbelt zone on eroding, mostly dry slopes; at elevations up to 125 metres, Subspecies insularis is found in ravines and on low ridges; at elevations up to 180 metres[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ].