About Pinus oocarpa Schiede ex Schltdl.
Pinus oocarpa Schiede ex Schltdl. is a pine tree species native to Mexico and Central America. It is the national tree of Honduras, where it is called ocote. Its common names include ocote chino, pino amarillo, pino avellano, Mexican yellow pine, egg-cone pine, and hazelnut pine. Evidence suggests it was the original progenitor species that acted as the ancestor for some other pine species native to Mexico. This species grows across 14° to 29° north latitude, occurring in western Mexico, Guatemala, and the higher elevations of Honduras, El Salvador, and northwestern Nicaragua. For optimal development, it requires an average temperature between 15 and 24 °C (59 to 75 °F) and annual rainfall between 1,000 and 1,900 mm (39 to 75 in). It prefers elevations from 900 to 2,400 m (3,000 to 7,900 ft) above sea level, and grows above 800 m (2,600 ft) in El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Pinus oocarpa var. trifoliata grows between 2,000 and 2,400 m (6,600 and 7,900 ft) above sea level. It is an important source of commercial lumber in Honduras and other parts of Central America. It has been introduced to Ecuador, Kenya, Zambia, Colombia, Bolivia, Queensland (Australia), Brazil, and South Africa for commercial wood production for the paper industry. Because of the high resin content in the tree, many Central Americans use small shavings of Pinus oocarpa to start cooking fires. This use has led bushcraft-focused stores to sell Pinus oocarpa dust, or imitations made with fatwood from other species or sawdust impregnated with paraffin or other waxes, under the name “Mayan Dust”.
