knobcone pine
Pinus attenuata

Family: Pinaceae.

Type: Evergreen conifer.

Leaves: Needles in fascicles of three, with a persistent bundle sheath, but shorter and lighter than those of the ponderosa pine.

Twig: Leaning, sloppy branch orientation.

Cone: Cones attach directly to the stem, a key characteristic. Woody and oblong. Serotinous (closed), until opened by fire, which melts the waxes of the resin and allows the cone to dry and open).

Miscellaneous: Small to medium sized, as its name indicates, and short-lived (usually less than a century). The knobcone pine is fire-dependent; fire is necessary for its reproduction, and it promotes it with its low branches. Cones have a cusp, a large bump that sticks out. Found in drier woodlands with scattered trees, and into chaparral; closed-cone conifer forest typically has an understory of chaparral. Typically found in infertile, shallow, unproductive soils; it is outcompeted in richer soils.