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The pinyon or piñon pine group grows in the southwestern United States and in Mexico. The trees yield edible pinyon nuts, which were a staple of the Native Americans (American Indians), and are still widely eaten. Harvesting techniques of the prehistoric Indians are still being used to today to collect the pinyon seeds for personal use or for commercialization. The pinyon nut or seed is high in fats and calories. Pinyon wood, especially when burned, has a distinctive fragrance, making it a common wood to burn in chimineas. The pinyon pine trees are also known to influence the soil in which they grow by increasing concentrations of both macronutrients and micronutrients. Some of the species are known to hybridize, the most notable ones being ''P. quadrifolia'' with ''P. monophylla'', and ''P. edulis'' with ''P. monophylla''. The pinyon jay (''Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus'') takes its name from the tree, and pinyon nuts form an important part of its diet. It is very important for regeneration of pinyon woods, as it stores large numbers of the seeds in the ground for later use, and excess seeds not used are in an ideal position to grow into new trees. The Mexican jay is also important for the dispersal of some pinyon species, as, less often, is the Clark's nutcracker. Many other species of animal also eat pinyon nuts, without dispersing them. == Species == Genetic differentiation in the pinyon pine has been observed associated to insect herbivory and environmental stress. There are eight species of true pinyon (''Pinus'' subsection ''Cembroides''): * ''Pinus cembroides'' – Mexican pinyon * ''Pinus orizabensis'' – Orizaba pinyon * ''Pinus johannis'' – Johann's pinyon (includes ''P. discolor'' – Border pinyon) * ''Pinus culminicola'' – Potosi pinyon * ''Pinus remota'' – Texas pinyon or papershell pinyon * ''Pinus edulis'' – Two-needle piñon or Colorado pinyon (when grown in Colorado) * ''Pinus monophylla'' – Single-leaf pinyon * ''Pinus quadrifolia'' – Parry pinyon (includes ''P. juarezensis''). These additional Mexican species are also related and mostly called pinyons: * ''Pinus rzedowskii'' – Rzedowski's pine * ''Pinus pinceana'' – Weeping pinyon * ''Pinus maximartinezii'' – Big-cone pinyon * ''Pinus nelsonii'' – Nelson's pinyon The three bristlecone pine species of the high mountains of the southwestern United States, and the lacebark pines of Asia are closely related to the pinyon pines. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Pinyon pine」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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