FLOWERS.—June; monoecious; the staminate oval, light brown, about 1/3 inch long, surrounded by 6-8 involucral bracts; the pistillate cylindrical, about 1/4 inch long, pinkish purple, long-stalked.
FRUIT.—Autumn of second season, falling during the winter and succeeding spring; pendent, short-stalked, narrow-cylindrical, often curved, greenish cones, 4-10 inches long; scales rather loose, slightly thickened at the apex; seeds red-brown, 1/4 inch long, with wings 1 inch long.
WINTER-BUDS.—Oblong-ovoid, sharp-pointed, yellow-brown, 1/4-1/2 inch long.
BARK.—Twigs at first rusty-tomentose, later smooth and light brown, finally thin, smooth, greenish; thick, dark gray on the trunk, shallowly fissured into broad, scaly ridges.
WOOD.—Light, soft, weak, compact, straight-grained, easily worked, light brown, with thin, whitish sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.—Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula north of Allegan, Eaton and St. Clair Counties. Often planted as an ornamental tree farther south.
HABITAT.—Prefers a light, fertile loam; sandy soils of granite origin.
NOTES.—Rapid of growth. Small seedlings easily transplanted. Formerly very abundant, but rapidly nearing extinction through destructive lumbering.