Pinus monophylla Torr. & Frém.
Singleleaf piñon, pinyon pine, single-leaf pinyon pine, single-leaf piñon pine
Singleleaf piñon (or pinyon) pine is so-called because each fascicle contains only a single needle, not two or more as with most pines. It is native to western North America.
Plants: Trees are 9½–66′ (3–20 m) tall, usually less than 33′ (10 m), with trunks up to 2½′ (80 cm) in diameter, and rounded to flat-topped habits. Bark is scaly, and deeply and irregularly furrowed.
Leaves: Like other pines, the leaves are needles; but while most pines have two or more needles per fascicle, these have only one needle. Needles are thick, stout, ⅞–2″ (2.5–6 cm) long, and gray-green to glaucous blue green. Leaves are covered with 15-35 rows of whitish stomata.
Fruits: Cones are ovoid, 1¾–3″ (4.5–8 cm) in siize before opening, green to light red-brown, then opening over a two year period into 8-20 thick scales. The seed cones are ellipsoid and yellow, opening to 2–3½″ (6–9 cm), with scales holding seeds that are ⅜–⅝″ (1.1–1.8 cm) long. Viable seeds are gray brown to dark brown.
Habitats: Arid, rocky slopes, in full sun, at elevations between 3937–7546′ (1.2–2.3 km).
Edibility: Pine nuts are edible, comparable in nutritional value to pecans.
Online References:
5/4/2018 · Hidden Valley, Joshua Tree National Park, California · By Susan M. Kent 
5/3/2018 · Ryan Mountain, Joshua Tree National Park, California · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm) 
5/3/2018 · Ryan Mountain, Joshua Tree National Park, California · ≈ 4½ × 4″ (11 × 10 cm) 
5/3/2018 · Ryan Mountain, Joshua Tree National Park, California · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 cm) 
5/4/2018 · Hidden Valley, Joshua Tree National Park, California · ≈ 15 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm) 
5/3/2018 · Ryan Mountain, Joshua Tree National Park, California · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm) 
ID is dubious because this is not within the natural range, but this is the only species with single needles. · 8/31/2014 · New Mexico · ≈ 4½ × 4″ (11 × 10 cm) 
5/3/2018 · Ryan Mountain, Joshua Tree National Park, California · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm) 
ID is dubious because this is not within the natural range, but this is the only species with single needles. · 8/31/2014 · New Mexico 
ID is uncertain 
ID is dubious because this is not within the natural range, but this is the only species with single needles. · 8/31/2014 · New Mexico · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 15 cm) ID is uncertain 
5/3/2018 · Ryan Mountain, Joshua Tree National Park, California · By Susan M. Kent 
5/3/2018 · Ryan Mountain, Joshua Tree National Park, California · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm) 
5/4/2018 · Hidden Valley, Joshua Tree National Park, California 
5/4/2018 · Hidden Valley, Joshua Tree National Park, California 
5/4/2018 · Hidden Valley, Joshua Tree National Park, California · By Susan M. Kent 
4/29/2018 · Sandstone Quarry, Scenic Loop Road, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Coniferophyta | Conifers—cone-bearing trees (and a few shrubs) |
| Class | Pinopsida | Gymnosperms such as cedars, Douglas-firs, cypresses, firs, junipers, kauri, larches, pines, hemlocks, redwoods, spruces, and yews |
| Order | Pinales | Cone-bearing plants: cedar, cypress, fir, juniper, larch, pine, redwood, spruce, yew, and others |
| Family | Pinaceae | Pine family: cedars, firs, hemlocks, larches, pines and spruces |
| Genus | Pinus | Latin for “pine” |
| Species | monophylla | Single-leaved |
Pinus monophylla description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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