Pinus gerardiana
Pinus gerardiana at the Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus, Ohio
Pinus gerardiana is a medium sized, evergreen coniferous tree of the genus pine (Pinus ) with threes growing, 5 to 10 inches long needles. The seed pin reach a length 12 to 20 centimeters. The Stammborke dissolves in irregular scales. The natural range is in the west of the Himalayas, Afghanistan, China, India and Pakistan. The species is classified as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List. Economic importance particularly enjoyed the large, oil-rich and edible seeds.
- 5.1 Literature
- 5.2 Notes and references
Description
Appearance
Pinus gerardiana grows as evergreen, up to 25 feet but usually only 15 to 18 meter high tree. The trunk reaches a diameter at breast height of 80 to 100 centimeters and branches usually close to the ground or the species grows more stocky. The Stammborke is smooth, hard and peels off in irregular, thin flakes, exposing the bright spots that change color from yellow-green or pale green to white gray and so form a multi-colored pattern on larger branches and a gray-white pattern on the trunk. The bark on the lower part of the trunk can be rough and fissured in older trees. The main branches are long and are spread or ascending, forming a conical crown when young trees, older a very broad, open crown. Benadelte branches are thin or thick, smooth, glabrous and yellowish green to olive green.
Buds and needles
The vegetative buds are ovoid, reddish brown, not resinous. The needles grow in threes in a 1 to 2 cm long, basal needle sheath, drop their shed after two years. The needles remain two to three years on the tree. They are gray -green or dark green, straight or curved, stiff and spreaded, 5 to 10 centimeters long, thin with a triangular- fan-shaped cross section and a diameter of about 1 millimeter. On the two sides there are adaxial needle stomatal lines. There shall be four to seven large resin canals.
Cones and seeds
The pollen cones grow spirally arranged in groups at the base of young shoots. They are yellowish brown, ovate - cylindrical and 7.5 to 15 millimeters long. The seed cones grow singly, sessile or shortly stalked on the sides of young shoots. They are oblong- ovate opened with a more or less flattened base, 12 to 20 rarely to 23 inches long and 8 to 11 rarely to 13 inches wide. They remain two to three years after the maturity of the tree. The 75 to 90 seed scales are thick woody, stiff, in the middle of the pin 3.5 to 5 inches long and 2 to 2.5 inches wide and open wide. They are initially green, light reddish brown at maturity. On the adaxial side are two deep cavities, which contain the seeds. The apophysis is strong, bent back and longitudinally grooved. The tip of the scales near the base of the pin is bent sharply. The umbo is dorsal and forms a recurved hooks with blunt tip.
The seeds are black, asymmetrical, ovate - oblong to more or less cylindrical, large wide with a length of 20 to 25 millimeters and 8 to 12 millimeters. The seed wing is poorly developed and remains on the seed scale.
Distribution, ecology and hazard
The natural range of Pinus gerardiana in the western Himalayas in the north- east of Afghanistan, in the south of Tibet Autonomous Region, in the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh as well as in the north of Pakistan.
Pinus gerardiana grows in the mountains at altitudes 2000-3350 meters. Thus, the distribution area in the Himalayas is limited to the valley bottoms between the high peaks, which separates the individual populations from each other. The distribution area is the Hardiness Zone 8 attributed with mean annual minimum temperatures -12.2 to -6.7 ° C (10 ° to 20 ° Fahrenheit ). In the distribution area, there are no distinct monsoon and annual rainfall is usually less than 1000 mm, which falls mostly in the form of snow. The species prefers dry, sunny slopes, with more or less open vegetation where they can be found along with other conifers, such as the Himalayan cedar ( Cedrus deodara ) and the Persian juniper (Juniperus polycarpos ) and deciduous trees. The seeds are like other pines with wingless seeds by birds, such as the Himalayahäher ( Nucifraga multipunctata ), widespread.
In the IUCN Red List Pinus gerardiana is classified due to the continued decline in stocks as Near Threatened ( " Near Threatened "). The decline is estimated at about 30 percent. Due to the highly fragmented distribution area still populated the entire area is estimated to be less than 2000 square kilometers, which is divided into more than ten areas. Main threat is the conversion of forest areas into agricultural regions, which further increases the fragmentation. Overgrazing and harvesting the pin prevents the natural regeneration of stocks. In addition, the trees are cut down and used as firewood, making the situation worse. In Afghanistan, there are plantations, to win the edible seeds. In several parts of the range of protection zones have been set up, but will not prevent the further decline in stocks.
Systematics and history of research
Pinus gerardiana is a species in the genus of pine (Pinus ), in which it is assigned to the subgenus strobus, Section Quinquefoliae and with two other species of the section Gerardianae. The species was described by David Don in 1832 Description of the genus Pinus first scientifically valid. The above description was made by Nathaniel Wallich did not meet the requirements of a first description. The genus name Pinus was already used by the Romans for several pine species. The specific epithet honors gerardiana the Scottish explorer Alexander Gerard (1792-1839), which they found in the exploration of Koonawur District with the Bengal Native Infantry in 1821 and showed Nathaniel Wallich in Calcutta.
Synonyms of species are Pinus aucklandii Lodd. ex Gordon, Pinus chilghoza Knight, Pinus and Pinus gerardii J.Forbes neosa Gouan ex WHBaxter.
Bark and needles of Pinus gerardiana similar to those of Bunge's pine ( Pinus bungeana ), but it has larger and different shaped seed cones and seeds.
Use
The greatest economic significance of the edible and oil-rich seeds. They are harvested by the pins are beaten from the trees in autumn and early winter. The seeds are sold in markets in the plains of northern India. Trees no longer produce sufficient seeds, precipitated and processed into firewood. The wood is also used locally as timber and joinery. The species is rarely planted as an ornamental plant, though the bark that of Bunge's pine is similar, but less colorful.