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 (U.S.)|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.