Pinus taiwanensis

Pinus taiwanensis, the Taiwan red pine, is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae endemic to Taiwan.

Taxonomy

It is a close relative of Pinus luchuensis of Japan and P. hwangshanensis of China, sometimes considered as a subspecies of the former. Sometimes P. hwangshanensis from China are also referred to as P. taiwanensis.
P. taiwanensis var. fragilissima and P. taiwanensis var. taiwanensis are the two varieties of this species.

Description

The Taiwan red pine is a large tree, with a straight trunk up to tall and in diameter. Needles are in bundles of two. Cones are long. It is a common species in the Central Mountain Range at altitudes of, often in pure stands.