After our post on lodgepole pine (
Pinus contorta) we got a comment from
Jess Clark regarding the origins of the tree's scientific name. The comment ended with a question: Are lodgepole needles twisted? And, could that be the reason for the species name,
contorta? This is the kind of question that we love at Rural Ways. It shows that our readers are beginning to think like foresters. It is, of course, widely acknowledged that forestry is at the apex of the natural sciences, and, indeed, may be at the pinnacle of all learning. There is, surely, no one who knows more about how the world works than a forester. Be that as it may, the question about the shape of the needles had us stumped. You see, we don't have lodgepole pine in southern Utah, so there was no way to gather a sample of its leaves in order to analyze their shape. We had to resort to the internet for a clear look at the needles. The picture, above, was provided by Oregon State, and shows some fairly straight needles. There is a slight twist to a few of them but it is not pronounced. While we are still open to the possibility that needle shape had something to do with the species name, the evidence at this point seems to be against it.
Nicely done. I asked the question due to a conversation I had with a field crew on the Flathead NF a month ago. I was talking about the Latin name of the Lodgepole and how it was an oxymoron of sorts, and the reply was, in all seriousness, that the Latin name came from the twisted needles. I didn't have a way to verify or repudiate the claim, so I took it at face value. Guess we need a field trip with Uncle Donnie to Yellowstone to take a look.
ReplyDeleteWell, lodgepoles are weed trees around here, of the teepee-making variety. The needles definitely have a slight twist to them. Rachel says when they emerge, the needle pair are twisted, then as they separate, the twist untightens and they look less twisted. I took a picture, but it doesn't look much different then the one you found. Not being trained in the apex of natural sciences, I don't know if slightly twisted needles are common in pines or a unique feature for lodgepoles.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know they were the same tree as the wind-shaped shore pines on the Oregon coast I grew up around. FWIW, wikipedia says those contorted trees are the source of the Latin name...