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Are all trees called pines members of the genus Pinus?

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Stone pine trees with rounded canopies stand amid low shrubs and flowering yellow bushes in Donana National Park, Huelva province, Andalusia, Spain. — Pine A stand of stone pines (*Pinus pinea*) in Doñana National Park near Seville, Spain.

No, not all trees commonly referred to as "pines" are members of the genus Pinus.

While the term "pine" specifically refers to the genus Pinus, which includes about 115 species of conifers within the family Pinaceae, common names can be misleading. A notable example is the Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla). Despite its name, this tree belongs to the family Araucariaceae and is not a true pine.12

In botanical classification, true pines are distinguished by their membership in the genus Pinus, whereas other trees may share the name "pine" due to superficial similarities in appearance or usage, even though they are biologically distinct.31