A tree up to 80 ft high in the wild; young shoots glaucous at first, afterwards dull yellow or brownish, not downy; bark fissured, grey tinged with pink or orange; winter-buds oblong-ovoid, pointed, 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 in. long, the scales closely appressed. Leaves densely set on the shoots, mostly in pairs, sometimes in threes, 3 to 6 in. long; basal sheath persistent, 1⁄4 in. long. Cones solitary, ovoid, up to 21⁄2 in. long, persisting on the branches several years.

P. tabuliformis is widespread in the mountains of China and descends to near sea-level in the plains of the north. It was introduced by Fortune from the neighbourhood of Peking in 1862, but the trees now in cultivation are from later reintroductions and mostly from seed sent from W. China by Wilson when collecting for the Arnold Arboretum. It is very rare in this country and of no ornamental value. An example at Borde Hill, Sussex, in Gores Wood, measures 52 × 21⁄4 ft (1974). It was identified as P. tabuliformis by A. B. Jackson, and was raised from seeds collected by Wilson in Korea, distributed as P. densiflora (W.8815). Others are: Bayford, Herts, in Bells Wood, 45 × 31⁄2 ft (1962); Edinburgh Botanic Garden, from Wilson 1369, 36 × 2 ft (1967).

P. tabuliformis was at one time known by the name P. sinensis, but the pine thus named by Lambert is P. massoniana, a species very rare in cultivation, and not treated here.

From the Supplement (Vol. V)

specimens: Borde Hill, Sussex, Gores Wood, 59 × 21⁄2 ft (1981); Edinburgh Botanic Garden, from Wilson 1369, 70 × 21⁄2 ft and, from W.1370, 52 × 31⁄2 ft (1985); Altyre, Moray, 66 × 3 ft (1985).

P. yunnanensis – The specimen at Kew measures 40 × 43⁄4 ft (1980), and there are others at Borde Hill, Sussex.

From New Trees

Pinus tabuliformis Carrière

(Subgen. Pinus, Sect. Pinus)

Chinese (Red) Pine

This species was described by Bean (B245, S381) and Krüssmann (K245). A key to the varieties, adapted from Fu et al. (1999c), is presented below. Pinus tabuliformis var. henryi is treated here as P. henryi (p. 603).