Near-pine was a plant native to the planet Sphinx in the Manticore System. It was an evergreen tree with tough "hairy" seedpods and a rough, deeply furrowed bark. The seeds were about the size of peanuts and have a strong, nutty flavor. They can also be crushed to harvest their oil. The average height of a fully matured near-pine was 62 meters (203 feet) although at least one specimen of 76 meters (249 feet) was recorded. After the crown oak, near-pines were the tallest Sphinxian trees. They were branchless for the lowermost third of their height. (SK2)