Pinus taiwanensis
Species of conifer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pinus taiwanensis, the Taiwan red pine, is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae endemic to Taiwan.
| Pinus taiwanensis | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnosperms |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Pinaceae |
| Genus: | Pinus |
| Subgenus: | P. subg. Pinus |
| Section: | P. sect. Pinus |
| Subsection: | P. subsect. Pinus |
| Species: | P. taiwanensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Pinus taiwanensis | |
Taxonomy
It is a close relative of Pinus luchuensis of Japan and P. hwangshanensis of China, sometimes considered as a subspecies of the former.[2] Sometimes P. hwangshanensis from China are also referred to as P. taiwanensis.[3] P. taiwanensis var. fragilissima and P. taiwanensis var. taiwanensis are the two varieties of this species.
Description
The Taiwan red pine is a large tree, with a straight trunk up to 35 metres (115 feet) tall and 80 centimetres (2+1⁄2 ft) in diameter. Needles are in bundles of two. Cones are 6–7 cm (2+1⁄4–2+3⁄4 inches) long. It is a common species in the Central Mountain Range at altitudes of 750–3,000 m (2,500–9,800 ft), often in pure stands.[4]
