By Eileenrice
Bedfordshire,
United Kingdom 
A friend, recently visiting Poole, came across this' pine'. Are these flowers or are they the beginnings of cones? A local gentleman said they call them rice crispie trees. what are they?
5 May, 2017
Answers
Technically called strobiles, they are effectively tiny male cones that release tons of pollen, and then drop off. The actual cones that produce the seed are fewer, less conspicuous, oval, dark green or purplish, and usually take two years to develop and open.
5 May, 2017
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They are the clustered structures carrying the male gametes of that pine tree.
This webpage explains: http://www.pinetum.org/Lovett/pinecones.htm
5 May, 2017