The ocote (Pinus teocote), Also known as ocote pine, Chinese ocote, Aztec pine, royal pine, red pine or red pine, it is a tree native to Mexico and Central America. It is a member of the Pinaceae family.
Its wood is used in construction and as a raw material for the production of paper and cellulose. It is also mixed with the wood of the Pine caribaea to be sold in the international market. In addition to its timber use, this pine is characterized by being a good producer of pine resin.
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It is a tree with a height between 10 and 20 meters, and can vary between 8 and 25 meters.
It has a wide irregular crown, with dense and upright foliage. As a young man, his glass is pyramidal in shape. However, when it matures it takes on a round shape.
It is characterized by being straight, sometimes bifurcated and with an average diameter of 75 cm.
In young trees, their bark is characterized by being thin and reddish-brown in color. While, in adult trees this varies, showing a bark that is greyish brown on the outside and reddish brown on the inside, being thicker and rougher with broad, irregular and deep plates..
These are unevenly distributed. The branches of the first order are thin, twisted from below or spread horizontally; on the other hand, those of a higher order are thin, flexible, slightly hanging and form the open crown of the tree.
They are brown or reddish in color, and rough. The bases of their bracts are decayed.
It has an evergreen foliage, with 3 to 4 leaves per fascicle, approximately 9 to 16 cm (commonly between 10 to 15 cm) long. They are thick, 2mm, and strong. The length of the peduncle varies between 0.7 to 12 cm, and that of the cone between 5 to 6.5 cm.
As for its color, it can vary from bright green to yellowish green. Their bracts are smooth, not decurrent, with droopy bases.
In young plants the pods measure 10 to 15 mm, are scaly and have a dark brown color, these characteristics vary in adult plants, since they become persistent and reach 5 to 8 mm in the fascicles..
As is well known, epicormic shoots are suckers from a bud in the woody areas of the plant. In the case of the species Pinus teocote Schiede ex Schtldl. & Cham., This is characterized by often presenting adventitious epicormic shoots, growing around the trunk.
Its seeds are ovate in shape, somewhat flattened from 3 to 5 mm. S color ranges from gray to dark brown. With a 15mm long and 5mm wide brim, oblique to ovate - oblong.
These species release their pollen in the months of April and May, and the ripening time of their fruits is for the month of October..
It is characterized by having a strong, high quality wood, which produces abundant turpentine.
The ocote is commonly known as Teocote Pine, Colorado Peak, Huichil, Royal Pine, Chinese Pine, Aztec Pine.
Its taxonomic description is as follows
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Gender: Pinus
Species: Pinus teocote Schiede ex Schtldl. & Cham.
It is difficult to pin down an exact habitat, as the ocote grows over a fairly wide range of conditions. Its altitude range is between 1000 - 3000 meters above sea level. This species is adapted to sub-humid and humid climates, and to annual rainfall with ranges between 1000 and 1500 mm.
It grows best in areas with loamy and clay loam soils, with good drainage, at acidic or neutral pH. They can also grow in dry and rocky soils, however, this affects their growth and development, influencing their commercialization..
Regarding its distribution, reports indicate that this species is native to Mexico. It is also present in Guatemala.
However, in Mexico it has a wide range of distribution, being found in the states of Coahuila, Sinaloa, Nuevo León, Durango, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Guerrero, Aguascalientes, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Morelo, Michoacán, State of Mexico, Puebla, Chiapas, Oaxaca and Veracruz.
The wood of the Pinus teocote Schiede ex Schtldl. & Cham., Is very important since it is strong, of good quality, hard, with a fine texture and very resinous, just like turpentine.
In addition, it has great ecological importance, since this species coexists more frequently with the white ocote fungus, establishing a relationship of mutual help. This symbiosis, better known as mycorrhiza, is decisive for the growth and development of both the fungus and the tree..
Due to the quality of its wood and the turpentine and cellulose, it is used for sawmilling, papermaking, packing boxes or piles for mines. Also used for construction, charcoal, and home furnishings.
The same occurs with the resin it produces, which, being of good quality, has gained a lot of commercial interest.
From turpentine, they get balsamic stimulants. Among its most common uses are in plywood as plywood centers and particle board, as well as for molded furniture, obtaining tar and cosmetics..
Its bark is used to treat certain diseases of the respiratory system such as asthma and sinusitis. Also as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory. Its flower is used as an antioxidant, since it has about 40 antioxidants.
There are reports that indicate its use for the skin, such as in the case of chafing; or to relieve bone pain, as well as inflammation of the gums due to its elastin content. Like resin, elastin is used to treat sprains.
It is used in pure plantations along boundaries.
It is a pine widely used for reforestation, since it favors the formation and recovery of the soil with a large amount of litter. It is also very useful for erosion control and for its ability to develop in degraded soils..
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