Chapter 9 No.9

Loblolly Pine. Old Field Pine.

Loblolly may refer to the inferiority of the wood; old field refers to habit of spontaneous growth on old fields.

Pinus taeda Linnaeus.

Pinus, the classical Latin name; taeda, the classical Latin name for pitch-pine, which was used for torches.

Habitat.

Habitat: (See map); grows best in eastern Virginia, and eastern North Carolina.

Characteristics of the Tree: Height, 100'-150'; diameter, often 4'-5'; branches high; bark, purplish brown, shallow, meandering fissures, broad, flat, scaly ridges; leaves, 3 in sheath, 4"-7" long; cones 3"-5" long.

Appearance of Wood: Color, heart-wood orange, sap-wood lighter; non-porous; rings very plain, sharp contrast between spring wood and summer wood; grain, straight, coarse; rays conspicuous; very resinous, but ducts few and small.

Leaf.

Physical Qualities: Weight, medium (39th in this list); 33 lbs. per cu. ft.; sp. gr. 0.5441; strong (26th in this list); elastic (17th in this list); medium hard (43d in this list); shrinkage, 4 per cent.; warps little; not durable; difficult to work, brittle; splits along rings in nailing.

Common Uses: Heavy construction, beams, ship building, docks, bridges, flooring, house trim.

Remarks: Resembles Long-leaf Pine, and often sold as such. Rarely makes pure forests.

Cross-section, magnified 37? diameters.

Radial Section, life size.

Tangential Section, life size.