Trees to 35m; trunk to 0.6m diam., straight; crown irregularly rounded, rather thin. Bark dark brown, at maturity deeply furrowed, ridges becoming yellowish, of narrow, elongate, scaly plates. Branches straight to ascending; twigs stout (1--2cm thick), pale gray-brown, aging darker brown, rough. Buds ovoid-conic, to 2cm, resinous; scale margins pale fringed. Leaves 3(--5) per fascicle, spreading-ascending, often drooping, forming a brush at twig tips, persisting 2 years, (20--)25--45cm ´ 2mm, dull green, all surfaces with fine stomatal lines, margins coarsely serrulate, apex conic-subulate; sheath 3--4cm, base persistent. Pollen cones cylindric, ca. 25mm, yellow to yellow-brown. Seed cones maturing in 2 years and shedding seeds soon thereafter, not persistent, terminal, sometimes curved, often asymmetric, lance-ovoid before opening, ovoid when open, 11--14cm, light dull brown, nearly sessile or short-stalked; apophyses rhombic, somewhat to quite elongate, strongly raised toward outer cone base, sometimes curved, strongly cross-keeled, narrowed to thick, curved, broadly triangular-based umbo, this often producing outcurved claw. Seeds obovoid; body ca. 8--9mm, dark brown; wing to 20mm. 2 n =24.

High and dry mountain ranges, valleys, and plateaus; 1500--2500m; Ariz., N.Mex.; Mexico.

In general appearance Pinus engelmannii much resembles P . palustris with its short-persistent, long leaves (but in this species drooping) and in its tendency to form a grass stage. It has a deep taproot as do P . palustris and P . ponderosa .

Common Name: Apache pine

Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Tree

General: Medium sized tree up to 35 m tall and 70-80 cm in diameter with large, thick, usually horizontal branches and an open, irregularly rounded and rather thin crown; bark dark brown with deep furrows, the ridges of which become yellowish, in narrow, elongate, scaly plates; when young the bark is scaly, rough and furrowed, but not in plates.

Needles: In fascicles of 3-4 needles, usually 3 but rarely 5, pale green and spreading ascending, often drooping and forming a brush at twig tips, 25-35 cm long and 1.5 mm thick, stiff, with minute coarsely serrulate margins; fascicle sheaths very scaly, dark brown to almost black, occasionally sticky, 20-25 mm long, not deciduous.

Cones: Asymmetrical, 10-15 cm long, slightly curved, long-connate, lustrous yellowish brown, hard, heavy, borne in groups of 2-4 on strong peduncles 5-10 mm long that are almost hidden under the basal scales; scales hard and strong, pyramidal to protuberent, with a gray, small, sharp, persistent prickle.

Seeds: Small, dark brown obovoid 5-9 mm long, with an articulate seed wing, 20-25 mm long.

Ecology: Found in the mountains on deep, well drained soils from 5,000-8,000 ft (1524-2438 m).

Notes: This species is fairly uncommon in the region and very similar to P. ponderosa in its general habit and wood. It is easily distinguished by the brushy branchlets that look like pipe cleaners with fascicles of needles that are way longer than other species. Additionally, the lustrous yellow brown cones are unique among the region's pines.

Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, but all pines have a variety of uses.

Etymology: Pinus is the ancient Latin name for pines, while engelmannii is named for George Engelmann (1809-1884), an American botanist and collector.

Synonyms: Pinus apacheca, Pinus latifolia

Editor: SBuckley, 2010