Foxtail pine

Foxtail Pine is a tree to 10–20 m tall, exceptionally 35 m , and up to 2 m in trunk diameter. The leaves are needle-like, in bundles of five with a semi-persistent basal sheath, and 2–4 cm long, deep glossy green on the outer face, and white on the inner faces; they persist for 10–15 years. The cones are 6-11 cm long, dark purple ripening red-brown, with soft, flexible scales each with a one millimetre central prickle.

Pinus balfouriana is the true "foxtail pine." In leaf character it is hardly, if at all, distinguishable from P. longaeva, but its strongly conic-based cones with distinctly shorter-prickled, sunken-centered umbos at once distinguish it from that species. Plants shown to be genetically distinct from the type (differences in chemistry, form, foliage , cone orientation, and seeds) have been called Pinus balfouriana subsp. austrina R.Mastrogiuseppe & J.Mastrogiuseppe. More

Pinus balfouriana, a gymnosperm, is a tree that is native to California and is endemic (limited) to California alone. More