Kingdom Plantae Class Pinopsida Family Pinaceae Scientific name Pinus clausa | Division Pinophyta Order Pinales Genus Pinus Rank Species | |
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Similar Pinus serotina, Pinus glabra, Pinus virginiana, Table mountain pine, Pinus echinata | ||
Pinus clausa is a species of pine endemic to the Southeastern United States. Its common names include sand pine, Florida spruce pine, Alabama pine, and scrub pine.
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Distribution
The tree is found in two separate locations, one across central peninsular Florida, and the other in the western Florida panhandle in the Alabama coast. There is a range gap of about 200 km (120 mi) between the populations (from Apalachicola to Cedar Key).
It is largely confined to very infertile, excessively well-drained, sandy habitats where competition from larger-growing species is minimized by the harsh growing conditions of hot sun, fast draining white sands, and frequent severe seasonal droughts. It is often the only canopy tree in the Florida scrub ecosystem.
Description
Pinus clausa is a small, often shrubby tree from 5–10 m (16–33 ft), exceptionally to 21 m (69 ft) tall.
The leaves are needle-like, in pairs, 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) long, and its cones are 3–8 cm (1.2–3.1 in) long.
Over much of its range, it is fire-adapted to stand-replacing wildfires, with the cones remaining closed for many years (clausa = closed), until a natural forest fire kills the mature trees and opens the cones. These then reseed the burnt ground. Some populations differ in having cones that open at maturity, with seed dispersal not relying on fires.
Uses
Pinus clausa woodlands are an important part of the Florida scrub ecosystem, and provide habitat for the endangered Florida Sand Skink, among other species. It is one of the few canopy trees able to grow in arid, sandy, and hot locations with minimal care.
While the dense branching makes this tree unsuitable for wood production, it is often used for wood pulp.
