Qiaojia Pine, Pinus squamata, zh: 巧家五针松) is a critically endangered^[1] pine native to a single locality consisting of about 20 trees in northeast Yunnan, China, at about 2200 m elevation.

Qiaojia Pine was discovered in April 1991 by Pangzhao J.Q. It was studied later that year and described the following year by Li Xiang-Wang. It shows similarities to Rzedowski's Pinyon and some other pinyon pines.

Description

Its mature height is unknown because none of the living trees are yet mature, but they could possibly grow to 30 m or greater. Its habitat is open secondary woodland, scrub, and grassland mixed with Yunnan Pine.

Qiaojia Pine, Pinus squamata, has a conic crown with flaky pale gray-green bark becoming dark brown with age, similar to the closely related Lacebark Pine. The shoots are reddish to greenish brown and may be pubescent or glabrous. The leaves are drooping in fascicles of 4 or 5, 9-17 cm long by 0.8 mm wide, glossy green above with white stomatal bands on the underside.

The cones are conic to ovoid, reddish brown, and 9 cm long by 6 cm broad when open. They open at maturity in September to October of the second year to release the oblong black seeds, 4-5 mm long with a 16 mm wing.^[2]

Conservation

Pinus squamata is the rarest of world pine species, with the endangered Torrey Pine, Pinus torreyana, being the next most rare pine species.^[3] It is a Critically endangered species.

Line notes

References

• Conifer Specialist Group (1998). Pinus squamata. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Listed as Critically Endangered (CR D v2.3)
• Gymnoperm database (2008) Pinus squamata Gymnosperm Database
• C.Michael Hogan (2008) Torrey Pine: Pinus torreyana, Globaltwitcher, ed. Nicklas Stromberg [1]