Rex Rafanelli

Mr. Zepeda
Integral Lab
19 November 2011
Monterey Pine, Pinus Radiata
!e tree I "!o#e to #t$dy i# a Monterey Pine lo"ated %o$t!ea#tern ridge t!at
overloo&# t!e "ollege. !e pine i# ea#ily #een from t!e "amp$#, any pla"e t!at !a# a "lear
vie' of t!e #o$t!ern !ori(on. !i# i# partly d$e to it# di#tin"t, pi"t$re#)$e #il!o$ette.
*nd t!i# i# '!y I 'a# originally intere#ted in t!e tree even before it be"ame t!e #$b+e"t of
#t$dy. %o I 'a# exited '!en I fir#t #et o$t into t!e !ill# to ob#erve t!e tree.
%tep# in t!e Pa"ifi" ,oa#t ree -inder
1. Needle#. .pg. /0
2. Needle# are b$ndled toget!er. .pg. /0
1. 2$ndle !a# fe'er t!an #ix needle#3 PIN4. .pg. 50
6. !ree to a b$ndle. .pg. 70
8. 9$termo#t t'ig# are t!inner t!an an ordinary pen"il. .pg. 120
/. !ey are #!orter t!an 5 in"!e# long. .pg. 160
5. :en#e, dar& green foliage and bla"&i#! bar&3 M9N4R4; PIN4. .pg. 180
Monterey Pine
!i# #pe"ifi" Monterey pine #tand# approximately fifty feet tall. !e tr$n& of t!e
tree mea#$re# t'o and a !alf feet 'ide< it# bar& i# dar&er gray 'it! bro'n fi##$re#. -rom
t!e ro$nded #!ape of t!e t!i"& foliage it i# evident t!e Pine i# of t!at of a de"$rrent
bran"!ing !abit. !e bran"!e# of t!e tree are irreg$lar and $p'ard fa"ing< t!ey and t!e
o$tmo#t t'ig# appear #ome'!at "roo&ed and random, a "ontra#t to t!e "lean ro$nded
appearan"e of it# foliage. !e foliage of t!e tree "on#i#t# of dar& green needle# ranging
bet'een t!ree and #ix in"!e#. -or t!e mo#t part t!e needle# are b$ndled in gro$p# of
t!ree b$t "an al#o be fo$nd in b$ndle# of t'o. !e "one# belonging to t!e tree are
bet'een fo$r and five in"!e# in lengt!. !ey are atta"!ed to t!e bran"!e# in a '!orled
arrangement, 'it! t!ree to five "one#. !e "one# po##e## t!i"& #"ale# t!at be"ome
=&nobli&e> on t!eir $pper #ide#, a# t!ey are "lo#er to t!e top of t!e "one. !e#e #"ale# are
almo#t "ompletely 'it!o$t pri"&le# t!at are pre#ent on #ome ot!er "onifer#.
?eneral Information on t!e Monterey Pine
!e Monterey Pine# #"ientifi" or Latin name i# Pin$# radiata. It i# a "onifero$#
evergreen tree t!at "an be fo$nd along t!e ,entral ,oa#t of ,alifornia. !e tree range# in
!eig!t from 80 feet to 128 feet, po##e##ing a diameter bet'een 2 feet and 1 feet. !e
"ro'n, "on#i#ting of bran"!e#, leave#, t'ig# and reprod$"tive #tr$"t$re# extending from
t!e tr$n& and main bran"!e#, i# of t!e de"$rrent bran"!ing !abit, meaning t!at t!e
entirety of t!e foliage !a# a ro$nded #!ape. !e bran"!e# of a mat$re Monterey Pine
!ave an $p'ard and irreg$lar bran"!ing pattern. @!ile t!e #tem# and t'ig# are al#o
#ome'!at irreg$lar, t!ey are noted a# #ingle, "roo&ed and ere"t. !e bar& of a mat$re
tree !a# deep "revi"e# #eparating narro' dar& bro'n and bla"& ridge#.
!e needle# of a Monterey Pine are #traig!t dar& green and range in #i(e from 1
in"!e# to / in"!e#. !ey are $#$ally in b$ndle# of t!ree, b$t are al#o pre#ent in pair#.
!i# doe# rai#e )$e#tion# !o'ever. If t!e Monterey Pine i# &no'n to !ybridi(e 'it! it#
"lo#e relative, t!e 2i#!op Pine, and t!e main di#tin"tion bet'een t!e t'o i# t!at t!e
former !a# b$ndle# of t!ree and t!e latter !a# b$ndle# of t'o, !a# t!e Monterey Pine been
#ome'!at !ybridi(edA If t!e Monterey pine# b$ndle# of t'o are +$#t a random anomaly,
t!i# #till "a$#e# problem# '!en it "ome# to identifi"ation. In t!e Pacific Coast Tree
Finder by om @att# t!e only "!ara"teri#ti" di#ting$i#!ing t!e 2i#!op Pine and t!e
Monterey Pine, i# !o' many needle# are to a b$ndle.
!e Monterey Pine i# a pyrop!yte, from t!e ?ree& Bpyro#C meaning fire and
Bp!yto#C meaning plant. In #!ort, t!e#e plant# !ave adapted to tolerate fire. !e "one# of
t!e Monterey Pine are per#i#tent and #erotino$#, meaning t!ey #tay on t!e tree pa#t t!e
#eed#C mat$ration and t!e #eed# are only relea#ed via environmental trigger. In t!e "a#e
of a pyrop!yte t!e environmental trigger 'o$ld mo#t li&ely be a fore#t fire, b$t it i# al#o
#aid t!at yo$ "an !ear t!e #o$nd of t!e "one# =popping> d$ring t!e !eat of t!e #$mmer.
!e "one# of t!e Monterey Pine are bet'een t!ree in"!e# and five and a !alf in"!e# long<
t!ey are a#ymmetri"al and !ave an oval #!ape. !e individ$al plate# of t!e "one, &no'n
a# #"ale#, !ave almo#t $nnoti"eable pri"&le#, b$t t!e a"t$al #"ale# are )$ite t!i"& and
in"rea#e in t!i"&ne## t!e "lo#er yo$ get to t!e top of t!e "one. *nd t!e one# "lo#e#t to t!e
top are di#tin"tly =&nobli&e> on t!eir $pper #ide.
2ibliograp!y
M":onald, P!ilip M. and Laa"&e, Robert D. Pin$# radiata. Monterey Pine.
Nort!ea#tern *rea %tate and Private -ore#try E!ttpFGG'''.na.f#.fed.$#H
%t$art, Do!n :. and Do!n 9. %a'yer. ree# and %!r$b# of ,alifornia. Iniver#ity of
,alifornia Pre##. 2er&eley. 2001. Print.
rin"!e#e, %averio ?. !e 2iogeograp!y of Monterey Pine .Pin$# radiata0. %an -ran"i#"o
%tate Iniver#ity :epartment of ?eograp!y E!ttpFGG'''.#f#$.ed$H
@att#, om. Pa"ifi" ,oa#t ree -inder. Nat$re %t$dy ?$ild P$bli#!er#. 2006. Print