Maxipiñon

Description

Pinus maximartinezii, called Martinez pinyon, big-cone pinyon or maxipi-on, is a pine in the pinyon pine group, native to central Mexico. The range is highly localised, confined to a small area of the southern Sierra Madre Occidental in southern Zacatecas. It occurs at moderate altitudes, from 1800-2400 m and 21- North latitude, in warm and temperate, dry climate conditions. It is a small tree, reaching 5-15 m tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 50 cm. The bark is brown, thick and fissured at the base of the trunk. The leaves ('needles') are in fascicles of five, slender, 7-13 cm long, and deep green to blue-green, with stomata confined to a bright white band on the inner surfaces. The cones are ovoid, massive, 15-27 cm long and 8-14 broad and up to 2 kg weight when closed, green at first, ripening yellow-brown when 26-28 months old, with very thick, woody scales, typically 30-60 fertile scales. The cones open to 10-15 cm broad when mature. The seeds are 2-3 cm long, with a thick shell, with a vestigial 1-2 mm wing; the seedlings have 18-24 cotyledons, the highest number reported for any plant.