Native to Central America, P. patula occurs naturally in the eastern, western and southern part of Mexico. P. patula is a closed-cone pine with straight stem form, reddish flaky bark and pale-green pendent foliage.
It can reach a height of 35 m and 80 cm d.b.h. It grows on fertile, welldrained soils on mountain ridges and slopes and is most common between 2100 and 2800 m.
It generally occupies sites that receive between 1000 and 2000 mm of annual rainfall. The species is grown primarily in plantations for pulp, paper and sawtimber, but is also used by some for charcoal.
The wood from plantation-grown P. patula is whitish to yellow whitish, with slightly pinkish heartwood and has a low percent of extractives.
Source: W. S. Dvorak. Central America and Mexico Coniferous Resources Cooperative (CAMCORE) Department of Forestry, North Carolina State University. |