Everything about Jeffrey Pine totally explained
Jeffrey Pine (
Pinus jeffreyi), named in honor of its discoverer
John Jeffrey, is a
North American
pine related to
Ponderosa Pine. It occurs from southwest
Oregon south through much of
California (mainly in the
Sierra Nevada), to northern
Baja California in
Mexico. It is a high altitude species; in the north of its range, it grows widely at 1500-2100 m altitude, and at 1800-2900 m in the south of its range.
The Jeffrey Pine is a large
tree, reaching 25-40 m tall, rarely up to 53 m tall, though smaller when growing at or near
tree line. compared to the
turpentine or odorless scent of Ponderosa Pine. This may be tested by breaking a small shoot or some needles, or by sampling the scent of the resin in between the plates of the bark. This difference in scent is related to the very unusual composition of the resin, with the
volatile component made up almost entirely of pure
n-heptane. Full-grown Jeffrey Pine is easily distinguished from Ponderosa Pine by the smaller scales of bark, as compared to the very large plates of more reddish-colored Ponderosa bark.
Jeffrey Pine is tolerant of
serpentine soils, and is often dominant in these conditions, even on dry sites at fairly low altitude.
On other soils, it only becomes dominant at higher altitudes where the usually faster-growing Ponderosa Pine doesn't thrive.
Uses
Jeffrey Pine wood is similar to Ponderosa Pine wood, and is used for the same purposes. The exceptional purity of
n-heptane distilled from Jeffrey Pine resin led to n-heptane being selected as the zero point on the
octane rating scale of
petrol.
As n-heptane is
explosive when ignited, Jeffrey Pine resin can't be used to make
turpentine. Before Jeffrey Pine was distinguished from Ponderosa Pine as a distinct species in
1853, resin distillers operating in its range suffered a number of 'inexplicable' explosions during distillation, now known to have been caused by the unwitting use of Jeffrey Pine resin.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Jeffrey Pine'.
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