Pines, also known as cold pines, are the cones of the pine trees in the Qinling and Bashan mountains. The cones of pines are cylindrical or ovoid-cylindrical in shape, while Qinling pines and Bashan pines are found in different regions.
Qinling Pine
Qinling Pine, also known as Cephalotaxus sinensis or Shaanxi Pine, is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 50 meters tall. The one-year-old branches are pale yellowish-gray, pale yellow, or pale brownish-yellow in color, and are either hairless or sparsely hairy in the grooves. The winter buds are conical in shape and have resin.
The leaves are arranged in two rows on the branches, and are linear in shape, measuring 1.5-4.8 cm long. The upper surface is dark green, while the lower surface has two white stomatal bands. The leaf apex of the fruit branches is pointed or blunt, with resin canals in the middle or near the middle. The tips of the nutrient branches and young leaves are either 2-cleft or slightly notched, with resin canals on the edges.
The cones are cylindrical or ovoid-cylindrical, measuring 7-11 cm long and 3-4 cm in diameter. They are green when young and turn brown when mature. The central scales are kidney-shaped, measuring about 1.5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, with a dense covering of short hairs on the back. The bracts are about 3/4 the length of the scales, not exposed, with a round upper part, fine serrations on the edges, and a short pointed tip in the center. The seeds are longer than the wings and are triangular in shape with a reversed triangle-shaped wing.
Bashan Pine
Bashan Pine, also known as Cephalotaxus fortunei or Sichuan Pine, is a tree that can grow up to 40 meters tall. The bark is rough, dark gray or dark gray-brown, and has chunky cracks.
The one-year-old branches are reddish-brown or brown in color, with slight grooves and no hair. Sparse short hairs may grow in the grooves. The leaves are linear and arranged in two rows under the branches. They measure 1.5-3 cm long and 1.5-4 mm wide, with a blunt or slightly notched apex. The upper surface has a concave midvein and a glossy appearance, while the lower surface has two powdery white stomatal bands on both sides of the midvein. The cross-section shows two resin canals, which are located in the middle of the leaf.
The male and female cones grow on the same tree. The male cones are ovoid and drooping. The cones are erect and cylindrical or elongated-cylindrical, measuring 5-8 cm long and 3-4 cm in diameter. They are singly located in the leaf axils, with a dark purple-black core. The bracts are inverted-ovate and wedge-shaped, with a round upper part, fine serrations on the edges, and a slightly exposed pointed tip. The seeds are triangular-shaped ovoid with a membranous wing at the upper end.
