Pinus Leiophylla - Subspecies

Subspecies

There are two subspecies (treated by some botanists as distinct species, by others as just varieties):

• Pinus leiophylla subsp. leiophylla. Needles slender (0.5–0.9 mm), in fives. It occurs in the southern part of the range, from Oaxaca to Durango, is not frost tolerant, and grows in relatively high rainfall conditions.
• Pinus leiophylla subsp. chihuahuana. Needles stouter (0.9–1.3 mm), in threes. It occurs in the northern part of the range, from Durango to Arizona, tolerates frost down to about −10 °C to −15 °C, and very dry conditions. The needle differences are adaptations to these harsher conditions. Synonyms Pinus chihuahuana, Pinus leiophylla var. chihuahuana.