latin: ponderous,= heavy
600,000-year-old fossils
ponderosa is today the most abundant pine
Flower: Monoecious; males yellow-red, cylindrical, in clusters near ends of branches; females reddish at branch tips. A large tree with an irregular crown.
Very dark bark later turning to yellow orange plates
Cambium layer bark is a source of carbohydrates, protiens, calcium, iron magnesium, and zinc.
Cones 3 to 6 inches long
Needles are long: 5 to 10 inches long
4 subspecies or "geographic races"
SubSpecies PONDEROSA (North Plateau Ponderosa Pine.)
SUBSPECIES PONDEROSA PINE
SubSpecies Scopulorum - Rocky Mountains Ponderosa Pine.
SubSpecies Brachyptera - Southwestern Ponderosa Pine
SubSpecies Benthamiana - Pacific Ponderosa Pine
SUBSPECIES BENTHAMIANA PINE
Yellow Pine
