Pinus occidentalis
Pinus occidentalis, or Hispaniolan pine, is a pine endemic to the island of Hispaniola, where it is the predominant species in the Hispaniolan pine forests of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Hispaniolan pines are found mixed with broadleaf trees from, and occur in pure stands above up to the summit of Pico Duarte, the highest point on the island. They are sometimes found in the lowland Hispaniolan moist forests ecoregion, in areas where poor acidic laterite soils predominate.
It is a medium-sized tree, growing to tall with an open crown. The leaves are dark green, needle-like, in fascicles of 3, 4, 5, long and thick. The cones are long, glossy brown, with a small prickle on each scale pointing forward; they mature in about 18 months and open to release the seeds, which are long with a wing.
Symbiotic relationships with ectomycorrhizal fungi enable Hispaniolan pines to grow on shallow, infertile soils.
