''Pinus maestrensis'', commonly known as the Sierra Maestra pine, or ''Pinus'' × ''maestrensis'', is a

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

conifer Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...

in the family Pinaceae. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

, where it was described to be a hybrid of '' Pinus cubensis'' and another species of pine. Various Cuban botanists believe it is its own genetic species through

evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

DNA analysis Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...

tests were done which showed only some minor differences between the two taxa. This is proved to be not viable though, with

hybridization Hybridization (or hybridisation) may refer to: *Hybridization (biology), the process of combining different varieties of organisms to create a hybrid *Orbital hybridization, in chemistry, the mixing of atomic orbitals into new hybrid orbitals *Nu ...

as a main cause of the DNA differences, not evolution. The general conclusion is that ''Pinus maestrensis'' evolved much more recently through hybridization, while ''Pinus cubensis'' has been around for much longer as its own species. The known hybrid individuals reside in isolated stands on the

Sierra Maestra The Sierra Maestra is a mountain range that runs westward across the south of the old Oriente Province in southeast Cuba, rising abruptly from the coast. The range falls mainly within the Santiago de Cuba and in Granma Provinces. Some view it a ...

, a mountain range in southern Cuba. Parts of the upper canopy on the Sierra Maestra are actually dominated by the hybrid pine species. It currently has a

nothospecies #REDIRECT Hybrid name In botanical nomenclature, a hybrid may be given a hybrid name, which is a special kind of botanical name, but there is no requirement that a hybrid name should be created for plants that are believed to be of hybrid origin. ...

classification.

Johannes Bisse Johannes Bisse (1935–1984) was a Cuban botanist, born in Germany in 1935 and arrived in Cuba in 1966. He received his doctorate from the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena. He was the founder and first director of the Cuban National Botan ...

described the type in 1975, assigning it the

scientific name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''Pinus maestrensis''.

References

maestrensis Trees of Cuba Plants described in 1975 {{conifer-stub