Pinus balfouriana
Pinus balfouriana, the foxtail pine, is a rare high-elevation pine that is endemic to California, United States. It is closely related to the Great Basin and Rocky Mountain bristlecone pines, in the subsection Balfourianae.
Description
P. balfouriana is a tree to tall, exceptionally, with a trunk up to across. Its leaves are needle-like, in bundles of five with a semi-persistent basal sheath, and long, deep glossy green on the outer face, and white on the inner faces; they persist for 10–15 years. The cones are long, dark purple ripening red-brown, with soft, flexible scales each with a central prickle.Distribution
P. balfouriana occurs in the subalpine forest at an elevation of in the Klamath Mountains, and at in the Sierra Nevada. In the Sierra Nevada, Foxtail pines are limited to the area around Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. In both areas, it is often a tree line species.There are two disjunct populations:
| Image | Subspecies | Distribution |
| Pinus balfouriana var. balfouriana | southern Klamath Mountains | |
| Pinus balfouriana var. austrina | the southern Sierra Nevada |
A small outlying population was reported in southern Oregon, but was proven to have been misidentified.