Dark Pines: ‘The tension is unrelenting, and I can’t wait for Tuva’s next outing.’ - Val McDermid: A Tuva Moodyson Mystery 1 (The Tuva Moodyson Mysteries)

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Looking at fir cones and pine cones side by side, you can spot the fir cones because they are generally cylindrical. Pine cones are usually oval or triangular-shaped. Even some pine cones that are long and conical differ from fir trees in the way they grow on the tree. Some fir cones can grow up to 10” (25 cm) and they resemble brown-colored candles sitting erect on branches. The thinleaf pine is a medium-sized pine tree known for its slender, drooping, light green needles, which typically grow in bundles of five. The seed cones are asymmetrical, red-brown, and grow in groups of 3 – 4. Its branches are horizontally spreading. Pine trees can also be identified by their needles, as the length of pine needles can vary widely. Longleaf pine ( pinus palustris) has the longest pine needles, measuring 18” (45 cm) long. Foxtail pine ( pinus balfouriana) has the shortest pine needles, measuring 1” (2.5 cm) long. Soft Needled Pines vs. Hard Needled Pines

Conifers are a type of woody plant that belong to the botanical division Pinophyta and class Pinopsida. Apart from firs, spruces, and pines, other trees belonging to the families of conifers include cedar, cypress, yew, and juniper trees. Most species of conifers are known for staying green all year, producing woody cones, and having leaves that are needle-like. The Aleppo pine tree is identified as a two-needled pine that grows to a medium height and produces slender brown cones measuring 2” to 4.7” (5 – 12 cm) long.

Jeffrey pine trees belong to the three-needled pine subgroup. The tall, erect pine tree is recognized in the landscape by its brown bark, conical crown, and cones that feel remarkably smooth. All conifers have 2 types of cones – pollen cones and seed cones. The male cones (pollen cones) are similar on all conifer species and are smaller than the female ones (seed cones). The seed cones are usually woody and brown and can be useful in the identification of conifer species. Pine Tree Identification by Cones and Branches (With Pictures) If you consent, neither you nor any other human being shall ever see us again; I will go to the vast wilds of South America. My food is not that of man; I do not destroy the lamb and the kid to glut my appetite; acorns and berries afford me sufficient nourishment. My companion will be of the same nature as myself and will be content with the same fare. We shall make our bed of dried leaves; the sun will shine on us as on man and will ripen our food. The picture I present to you is peaceful and human, and you must feel that you could deny it only in the wantonness of power and cruelty. Pitiless as you have been towards me, I now see compassion in your eyes; let me seize the favourable moment and persuade you to promise what I so ardently desire." Species of pines—white, red, and yellow—are identified by the number of needles in a bundle. For example, like most white pines, the eastern white pine tree is classed as a five-needle pine because it has five needles in each bundle. However, two-needle pine species tend to be red pines, and yellow pines are three-needle pine trees.

During his long literary career, Neruda produced more than forty volumes of poetry, translations, and verse drama.

Fir vs. Spruce

The gray pine tree has easily identifiable features that include sizable rounded pine cones, long pale grayish-green needles in fascicles of three, sparse leaf growth, and a conic crown that leans to one side. The smooth-bark Mexican pine is a fast-growing pine with long, pendulous needles in bundles of five. It features asymmetrical, slightly curved cones that are an attractive yellow-brown color. The pine is fast-growing and reaches a maximum height of 120 ft. (36 m). The Chihuahua pine is a medium-sized pine with glossy, green to yellow-green needles in bundles of three to five. Its cones are egg-shaped and dark-brown in color. It has an open, rounded crown. The pine is found at high altitudes of 5250 to 9840 ft. (1600 – 3000 m). The Apache pine is a medium-sized species of pine tree characterized by its dark brown bark with shallow fissures. It has dull-green needles that grow in bundles of three, occasionally up to five. The needles measure 8 to 15 inches (20 – 38 cm) long.

Wood from pine trees is used to make furniture, flooring, construction frames, and timber. Pine wood is also an important source of pulp to make paper.

Eldarica Pine (Pinus eldarica)

But this relief is coupled with suspicion. Gruesome murders have been happening in the forest surrounding the town. As Tuva begins reporting on the cases for the local newspaper, just about all the locals seem like potential killers. There are Alice and Cornelia, two strange sisters who make a living carving “craft” trolls to which they attach real hair (in all places), eyes and fingernails. There’s David, a reclusive ghost writer who cooks calf heads in his strangely spotless home. There’s Viggo the taxi driver, whose son is terrified of a room in his house he only says contains “games”. There’s Bengt, an anti-hunting vegetarian hoarder who’s had to move into a caravan because his house is so full of rubbish. There’s Hannes the rich mill boss, who has a mafia-like hold over the town. And there are factors such as the depressing uniformity of the locals’ clothing to consider – when everyone buys the same boots from the only supermarket in town, footprints in the snow aren’t much use as evidence…