Pinus oocarpa var. oocarpa

• Authority

  Farjon, Aljos K. & Styles, Brian T. 1997. Pinus (Pinaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 75: 1-291. (Published by NYBG Press)

• Family

  Pinaceae

• Scientific Name

  Pinus oocarpa var. oocarpa

• Type

  Type. Mexico. Michoacan:  Zwischen Ario und dem Feuerberge Jorullo.  Schiede s.n. (no original material has been found in HAL or elsewhere); neotype: Michoacán: Las Playitas Forest Sta., along track to Cañas, Styles 36 (neotype, FHO, here designated; isoneotype, K).

• Synonyms

  Pinus oocarpa var. oocarpoides (Lindl. ex Loudon) Endl., Pinus oocarpa subsp. manzanoi (Martínez) Silba

• Description

  Variety Description - Tree, medium to tall, height to 30-35 m, dbh to 100-125 cm. Leaves in fascicles of 5 (sometimes also 3-4 on trees with mostly 5), straight, rigid or less commonly lax, (17-)20-25(-30) cm X 0.8-14 mm. Seed cones 5-8(-10) X 5-9(-12) cm when open. Seed scales ca. 100-130.

• Discussion

  Distribution and Ecology: It has the largest range of all of the pines in our region and is especially abundant in Mesoamerica. It extends over a NW-SE distance of ca. 3000 km and consequently is found under very different ecological conditions. This is expressed in its altitudinal range, (200-)500-2300(-2700) m, and in the variation of annual precipitation, 700-3000 mm. These variations are greatest in Mesoamerica and are less pronounced particularly in the far NW part of the range. Especially precipitation levels increase toward the southeast. Yet its optimum is at middle elevation (1000-1500 m) with abundant rainfall. Seasonality is mainly expressed in a (long) dry season from October to June in much of its range. Nearly everywhere, fire is an integral part of the ecosystem, but man-made fires, often deliberate, add substantially to the frequency with which they occur. Pinus oocarpa has semi-serotinous cones and is adapted to tíre, at least at natural frequencies. It occurs in usually open woodland or forest, often in pure stands or as a constituent of pine-oak woodland. Other pines commonly associated with it are P. engelmannii, P. leiophylla, and P. douglasiana in the northwest and P. ntaximinoi, P. devoniana, and P. tecununíanii to the southeast. If fires are less frequent, there can be an understorey of shrubs with, e.g., Calliandra, Acacia, Leucaena, Hybosema, Byrsonima, and Leucothoe, but often the burning favours Pteridium aquilinum or grasses.

  Phenology: Pollen is released in February-March.

• Distribution

  Mexico North America| Chiapas Mexico North America| Guerrero Mexico North America| Jalisco Mexico North America| Michoacán Mexico North America| Oaxaca Mexico North America| Sinaloa Mexico North America| Sonora Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America| Baja Verapaz Guatemala Central America| Quiché Guatemala Central America| Guatemala Guatemala Central America| Totonicapán Guatemala Central America| Zacapa Guatemala Central America| Honduras Central America| Choluteca Honduras Central America| Comayagua Honduras Central America| Copán Honduras Central America| Cortés Honduras Central America| El Paraíso Honduras Central America| Francisco Morazán Honduras Central America| Intibucá Honduras Central America| El Salvador Central America| La Unión El Salvador Central America| Morazán El Salvador Central America| San Miguel El Salvador Central America| Santa Ana El Salvador Central America| Nicaragua Central America| Estelí Nicaragua Central America| León Nicaragua Central America| Matagalpa Nicaragua Central America|