Pinus taiwanensis

Pinus taiwanensis, the Taiwan red pine, is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae endemic to Taiwan.

Pinus taiwanensis
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnospermae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Pinaceae
Genus:	Pinus
Subgenus:	P. subg. Pinus
Section:	P. sect. Pinus
Subsection:	P. subsect. Pinus
Species:	P. taiwanensis
Binomial name
Pinus taiwanensis Hayata

Taxonomy

It is a close relative of Pinus luchuensis of Japan and P. hwangshanensis of China, sometimes considered as a subspecies of the former.^[2] Sometimes P. hwangshanensis from China are also referred to as P. taiwanensis.^[3] P. taiwanensis var. fragilissima and P. taiwanensis var. taiwanensis are the two varieties of this species.

Description

The Taiwan red pine is a large tree, with a straight trunk up to 35 metres (115 feet) tall and 80 centimetres (2+1⁄2 ft) in diameter. Needles are in bundles of two. Cones are 6–7 cm (2+1⁄4–2+3⁄4 inches) long. It is a common species in the Central Mountain Range at altitudes of 750–3,000 m (2,500–9,800 ft), often in pure stands.^[4]