LEAVES.—In clusters of two; 4-6 inches long; slender, straight, needle-shaped, sharp-pointed, flexible, from elongated, persistent sheaths; lustrous dark green. Persistent 4-5 years.
FLOWERS.—April-May; monoecious; the staminate in oblong, dense clusters, 1/2-3/4 inch long, composed of many sessile, purple anthers imbricated upon a central axis; the pistillate single or few-clustered at the end of the branchlets, subglobose; scales ovate, scarlet, borne on stout peduncles covered with pale brown bracts.
FRUIT.—Autumn of second season, falling the next summer; ovoid-conical, nearly sessile cones, about 2 inches long; scales thickened at the apex; seeds oval, compressed, light mottled-brown, with wings 1/2-3/4 inch long.
WINTER-BUDS.—About 3/4 inch long, ovoid or conical, acute, red-brown, with rather loose scales.
BARK.—Twigs orange-brown, becoming rough with the persistent bases of leaf-buds; thick and red-brown on the trunk, shallowly fissured into broad, flat ridges.
WOOD.—Light, hard, very close-grained, pale red, with thin, yellow to white sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.—Very abundant in Clare County and northward; frequent on the east side of the state as far south as Port Huron.
HABITAT.—Sandy plains and dry woods.
NOTES.—Rapid of growth on the better soils. Difficult to transplant.