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| 10 November 1991. Saltillo - Cuautemos. Very dry low limestone hills in broad valley with open low Pinus scrub; mixed with other mostly thorny semi-desert low shrubs, Agave several spp., Ferocactus sp. and Opuntia 2-3 spp. Some firewood cutting of pines; none larger than 5 m tall nor very old, and several with cut branches. Moderate grazing; some regeneration, possibly just adequate for maintenance of stand. |
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Pinus pinceana - Tree One of a small scattered population, mixed with Pinus cembroides, at Cuautemos, 25°18'N 100°55'W, 2120 m alt. Mexico 2
Pinus pinceana - Close up Mexico | 2
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Pinus pinceana - Tree Mexico 4
Pinus pinceana - Foliage Mexico | 4
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Pinus pinceana - Seedling Mexico 6
Ferocactus - Pinus pinceana in the background Mexico | 6
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Pinus cembroides - Tree Same place as Pinus pinceana. 2120 m, 25°18'N 100°55'W. Cones on several trees to 5 m tall. Open shrubby tree to 5 m, leaves 2-3's, 3-4 cm, light to mid green on both sides. Cones 3-4 cm, scales thin. Mexico 8
Pinus pinceana & Pinus cembroides - Scenery Mexico | 8
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Pinus cembroides - Foliage Mexico 10
Pinus cembroides - Trunk Mexico | 10
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| 10 November 1991. Saltillo - Mesa de las Tablas. Limestone valley and mountain slopes extending east from Saltillo; dry at western end, becoming moister to east and at higher altitudes. Small agricultural clearings interspersed with mixed scrub forest to open and closed canopy conifer forest; also large open area from 1975 fire in SE of valley not yet re-forested (possibly due to grazing pressure) and now Agave dominated low scrub. |
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Pinus aff. montezumae - Tree 2380 m, 25°20'N 100°32'W. Tree 12 m, intermediate between P. hartwegii (mostly at higher altitudes) and P. montezumae (mostly lower), but closer to former. Leaves dark green, 25 cm; cones 8 cm, grey-green, scales thin. Mexico |
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Pinus teocote - Trees 2440 m, 25°21'N 100°35'W. Cones from low branch of 17 m tree; only one with 1991 cone crop out of many trees. Mexico 13
Pinus teocote - Trees Mexico | 13
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Pinus greggii - Tree 2440 , 25°21'N 100°35'W. Cones from two young trees 12-14 m tall; no new crop but closed 1990 and earlier cones plentiful. Male flowers shedding pollen. Mexico |
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Juniperus angosturana - Shrub (Syn. J. monosperma var. gracilis) 2140 m, 25°18'N 100°27'W. Shrub 2 m, foliage bright green. Dioecious; cones pink-purple bloomed grey, 6-8 mm, moderately soft, very sour-resinous, bitter; one seed per cone. Undershrub in mature P. montezumae forest. Mexico |
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Juniperus flaccida - Shrub 2500 m 25°17'N 100°26'W. Shrubby tree 5 m; foliage pendulous, grey-green, very attractive; dioecious. Cones 12 mm, brown, scale edges prominent; pulp hard, fibrous, sweet but bitter after-taste, fruity-resinous; seeds 6 mm, pale brown with resin blisters, several per cone. Mexico |
| 11 November 1991. Saltillo - Los Alamos - Monterrey. Habitats much as previous one; narrower valley closing into precipitous gorge 300+ m deep and 30 m wide at one point. |
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Cupressus arizonica - Tree 2200 m, 25°29'N 100°37'W. Mexico 18
Cupressus arizonica - Tree Mexico | 18
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Pinus johannis - Shoots & Cones 1770 m, 25°31'N 100°28'W. Dense shrub to 3 m, leaves in 3's, 4 cm, glossy dark green outer face, inner white. Cones 4 cm with very thin scales. Good seed crop. Mexico |
| 13 November 1991. Iturbide - Cerro Potosi. Main stops just west of Diezyocho de Marzo, open pine forest on dry limestone site at foot of Cerrro Potosi, and at high altitudes on Cerro Potosi, mixed, mainly conifer forest also on limestone, moister and cool. Altitudes on Potosi recalculated on basis of published 3713 m (US Defence Mapping Agency) for summit; our altimeter gave 3630 m. |
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Pinus culminicola - Shoots & Cones 3450 m, 24°52'N 100°14'W. Shrub to 4 m, similar to P. johannis in habit but leaves in 5's and cones yellower, slightly thicker scaled and heavily wrinkled; easily distinguished. Heavy cone crop but seeds already all taken by the four Jay species seen on the mountain. Mexico |
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Pinus culminicola - Shrub 3710 m, 24°52'N 100°14'W. Shrub only 1.5 m tall at and near mountain summit. Still some good seed present though most gone. Cones larger here (to 5 cm), probably benefits from moister soil. Pinus hartwegii (syn. P. rudis) in the background. At summit; two very old, windswept and gnarled 5 m trees. Leaves in 5's, dark green, dense, curved upbut, very short, only 5-8 cm with tree probably at the limits of its climatic tolerance. Good cone crop, suggesting that 1990/91 drought had made conditions suitable for seed bearing at upper limits of each species' range, but too dry lower down in main part of ranges. Mexico |
| 14 November 1991. Iturbide - Ascension - Gral. Zaragosa. Brief stop west of Iturbide, a fairly dry low altitude site; scrub with scattered Pinus apulcensis on limestone. Next conifers on extremely dry limestone/gypsum soil in rain shadow on west side of mountains. |
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Juniperus flaccida - Trees 1830 m, 24°42'N 100°05'W. Old trees to 12 m. 1.5 m girth, pendulous grey-green foliage. Dioecious; cones slightly larger than 12 mm. Mexico |
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Juniperus saltillensis - Shrub 1830 m, 24°42'N 100°05'W. Shrub to 2 m with bright grey-green foliage. Dioecious, cones 6 mm, purple bloomed pale, globose, pulp moderately soft, sour-resinous; one seed per cone. Mexico 24
Juniperus saltillensis - Shoots Mexico | 24
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| 25 Pinus arizonica var. stormiae - Tree 1830 m, 24°42'N 100°05'W. Trees to 12 m, leaves in 5's, twisted, grey-green, 18-20 cm. Cones to 10 cm, red-brown; only 1990 crop present but a few seeds still contained. Mexico |
| 15 November 1991. Cerro Peņa Nevada. Taxus globosa, Abies vejari and Picea martinezii in humid, very moist (by NE Mexican standards) heavily forested (oak/fir/yew) valley. Pinus johannis on dry high altitude marble rock (almost no soil) with open mixed scrub forest. |
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| 26 Taxus globosa - Tree (and a young Abies vejari behind, to right) Trees to 8m; foliage intermediate between European T. baccata and Chinese T. mairei, fairly open and sparse; fruit with broader aril than T. baccata, otherwise similar. Mexico 27 Taxus globosa - Foliage | 27
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| 28 Picea martinezii - Tree 2260 m, 23°54'N, 99°47'W. Tree 25 m. Leaves 3 cm, glossy green, sideways flattened, viciously sharp; cones 8-15 cm. Very few 1991 cones, these also insect infested but a few seeds good; also a few seeds still in the abundant 1990 cones. Mexico 29 Pinus johannis - Tree 2680 m, 23°49'N 99°53'W. Trees to 5 m tall. Mexico | 29
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| 15 November 1991. Road from Cerro Peņa Nevada to Dr Arroyo. Dry Pinus nelsonii/P. cembroides forest on limestone. No cones on P. cembroides at this site. |
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| 30 Pinus nelsonii - Tree 2050 m 23°N, 99°56'W. Trees to 6m. Leaves in 3's, occasionally 4's, but holding together singly; cones 6-11 cm, bright red, on stout 5 cm recurved peduncles. Immature conelets (few seen) already half mature size, and with leaves on peduncle (unique among pines). Mexico |
| 17 November 1991. Juchipila, SW Zacatecas. Mixed Quercus/Pinus maximartinezii forest on fairly moist hillside above village of Pueblo Viejo; only other conifer present Pinus lumholtzii, two specimens inaccessible cliff-face. Only known site for P. maximartinezii, but more extensive than literature suggests; population probably exceeds 1000 trees over a square mile or so. |
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Pinus maximartinezii - Tree 1800-2450 m 21°21'N 103°14'W. Trees to 20 m scattered widely over hillside; 1992 cones full-size (12-20 x 10-15 cm, massive, to 1.5 kg) but very unripe; 1991 cones all harvested for edible seed (Aug-Sep). Seed bought in village, so altitude of collection unknown; altitude given is its known range. Cones mature in 27-30 months: unique among pinyon pines (other spp in 18 months). Villagers stated that frost is rare, and snow unknown, even at the top of the species' range. Mexico More photos of Pinus maximartinezii |
| 19 November 1991. Miquihuana. Dry Pinus nelsonii/P. cembroides forest on limestone. No cones on P. cembroides here. |
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Pinus nelsonii - Cone Altitude 2380 m, 23°34'N, 99°47'W. Trees to 6 m. Cones from about 20 trees; only one to a few cones on each tree. Most seed still in cones. Mexico |
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Photos : © Michael P. Frankіs
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