11-15-14

Nevada, USA. Looking south off a Forest Service road that is closed to motorized traffic. The prominent divided highway is Interstate 580/US 395. Drought-shrunken Washoe Lake is visible in the distance to left of center.

Pinus jeffreyi , Jeffrey pine. A stand growing in the foothills of the Carson Range above Washoe Valley, Nevada. The title is a mnemonic we learned from a forester friend for distinguishing Jeffrey pine from the very similar, and closely related, ponderosa pine. The barbs on the Jeffrey's cone point inward, so you can catch the cone without poking yourself. Per Wikipedia, Jeffrey is found under drier conditions than ponderosa pine, which otherwise is faster growing. The glossy green shrub making an understory here and there is manzanita.