Pinus durangensis, the Durango pine or pino real is a pine tree species endemic to the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range of north-western Mexico.

This species is related to Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa pine), and included in the same subsection Ponderosae.

Distribution

The tree is found from Chihuahua and Sonora, southwards through Durango and Jalisco, to Michoacán. It is a moderately high altitude species, growing at .

Description

Pinus durangensis is an evergreen tree reaching in height, with a trunk up to in diameter and a broad, rounded crown. The bark is thick, dark gray-brown, and scaly or fissured.

The leaves are needle-like, dark green, five to seven, rarely eight per fascicle (mostly six, the high regularly occurring number in the genus), 14–24cm long and 0.7-1.1mm wide, the persistent fascicle sheath 1.5–3cm long.

The cones are ovoid, 5–9cm long, green ripening brown, opening when mature in spring to 5–6cm broad. The seeds are winged, 5–6mm long with a 1.5-2.5cm wing. Pollination is in late spring, with the cones maturing 20–22 months after.

References

• Farjon, A. & Styles, B. T. (1997). Pinus (Pinaceae). Flora Neotropica Monograph 75: 171-175.