Editing Pinus clausa (section)

==Distribution==
The tree is found in two separate locations, one across central peninsular [[Florida]], and the other along the western [[Florida panhandle]] coast into the [[Alabama]] coast. There is a range gap of about {{convert|200|km|mi|abbr=on}} between the populations (from the [[Ochlockonee River]] to [[Cedar Key, Florida|Cedar Key]]).<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Myers |first1=Roland L. |title=Ecosystems of Florida |publisher=University of Central Florida Press |year=1990 |isbn=0-8130-1022-5 |editor-last1=Myers |editor-first1=Ronald L. |location=Orlando, Florida |chapter=Scrub and High Pine |editor-last2=Ewel |editor-first2=John J. |editor-link2=John Ewel |pages=162–163}}</ref> The sand pines of the Florida peninsula and of the Florida panhandle coast differ enough to be classified into two varieties or [[Race (biology)|races]], ''Pinus clausa'' var. ''clausa'' ("Ocala"), on the peninsula, and ''P. clausa'' var. ''immuginata'' ("Choctawhatchee"), along the panhandle coast. While most panhandle sand pines (var. ''immuginata'') have [[Serotiny|non-serotinous]], or open, cones, most of the peninsular sand pines (var. ''clausa'') have serotinous, or closed, cones.{{Sfn|Brendemuehl|1990|p=294}}

Sand pine is largely confined to the very [[Fertility (soil)|infertile]], excessively well-drained, sandy habitat of [[Florida scrub]]. It is often the only canopy tree in the Florida scrub ecosystem. Stands of sand pines in peninsular Florida tend to be dense and of the same age, while stands of sand pines along the panhandle coast tend to be more open than on the peninsula, and with trees of varying age.{{Sfn|Brendemuehl|1990|pp=294–295}}