Species

Pinus patula

Etymology

patula: spreading

Common Name(s)

patula pine

Authority

Pinus patula Schltdl. & Cham.

Family

Pinaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

PINPAT

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Gymnosperm Trees & Shrubs

Habitat

Terrestrial. Aggressively colonises open forest canopy.

Features

Small or medium tree, reaching to 30 m, with wide spreading branches. The needles are long (up to 30 cm)thin, flexible and held in bundles of three, which droop down below the branches. The red-brown bark peels readily to reveal bright orange-brown underbark. The terminal shoots on the branches turn upright, and are surrounded by male cones. Female change from pink to brown as they mature, reaching about 8 cm long, often slightly curved and elongated.

Similar Taxa

This species is easily distinguished from all other 2-3 needled pines wild in NZ by the very slender, pendulous, grass-green needles and the prominently erect buds which are often at right angles to the shoot. (Webb et al 1988).

Flower Colours

No Flowers

Year Naturalised

1957

Origin

S. Mexico

Reason For Introduction
Forestry

Life Cycle Comments
Perennial

Reproduction
seed

Dispersal
wind

This page last updated on 29 Mar 2010