Pinus merkusii
Pinus merkusii
Pinus merkusii or Merkus pine is an evergreen coniferous tree of the genus pine (Pinus ) with 15 to 20 centimeters long needles and usually 6 to 10 inches long seed cones. The natural range is located on Sumatra and the Philippines, the species is however economically used throughout Indonesia. From the resin of turpentine is produced in large scale.
- 5.1 Literature
- 5.2 Notes and references
Description
Habit
Pinus merkusii grows as evergreen, to 45 maybe even 70 meter high tree with upright, straight trunk and trunk diameters of up to 200 centimeters. The Stammborke is reddish brown or dark brown, either thin and more or less smooth or thick, scaly and rough and breaks up into many small, dark gray plates. The branches are horizontally or upright and form an open, broadly conical or irregular crown. The needled branches are strong, glabrous, brown or dark brown.
Buds and needles
The buds are cylindrical and not resinous, terminal buds grow to a length of 1.5 to 2 centimeters. The bud scales are brown. The needles grow in pairs in a lasting, 12 to 18 millimeters long, reddish brown, basal needle sheath. The needles are dull green, long and very thin, straight or slightly curved, pliable, 15 to 20 inches long and approximately 1 millimeter thick. The needle edge is finely serrated, the needle pointed end. On all sides there are fine needle stomatal lines. The needles fall off after two years.
Cones and seeds
The pollen cones grow erect and spirally arranged in groups. They are cylindrical, 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters long with a diameter of 5 millimeters. The seed cones usually solitary rarely grow in pairs on young shoots. They have a strong stem and are available from almost at right angles from the branches. They are closed oblong- conical, sometimes 5 usually 6 to 10 and rarely up to 11 inches long and 4-8 inches wide. Open them are broad - ovate. The seed scales are light reddish brown, thin, stiff, oblong and in the center of the pin about 3 mm long and 1.2 to 1.5 millimeters wide. The apophysis is shiny reddish brown to dark brown, raised, rhombic or irregular pentagonal outline, clearly keeled transversely and radially striated or grooved. The umbo is flat or slightly depressed toward the end blunt and unarmed. The seeds are obovate, 5-7 mm long, about 4.5 mm wide, slightly pressed and gray-brown. The seed wing is narrow, 20 to 25 millimeters long and consistently. The cones mature in the second year.
Distribution, ecology and hazard
The natural range of Pinus merkusii is located in Malaysia's north and in the center of Sumatra and on the Philippine islands of Luzon and Mindoro. According to other data are also areas in Southeast Asia to the natural range of the species, but the trees of these areas of vikarianten Pinus Latteri be assigned. In Sumatra, there is the most extensive holdings around Lake Toba and along the Barisangebirge that go beyond 2 ° south latitude to the south. This has all pine Pinus merkusii the southernmost area of distribution and is the only pine species which also occurs south of the Equator. Pinus merkusii grows in mountainous areas and forms open pine forests or embossed by fire pine savannas. These ecosystems are strongly influenced by humans or may have arisen only through its influence. It makes a " grass stage " as an adaptation to the frequent fire. The distribution area is the hardiness zone 10 is associated with mean annual minimum temperatures of -1.1 to 4.4 ° C ( 30-40 ° F).
In the IUCN Red List as endangered Pinus merkusii out ( " Vulnerable "). The main cause is the heavy use that has led the Philippines to a very sharp decline in stocks. Also on Sumatra, the wood is still used, but the situation is better there. It is noted, however, that a reassessment is pending.
Systematics and history of research
Pinus merkusii is a species in the genus of pine (Pinus ), in which it is assigned to the subgenus Pinus, section Pinus and Pinus subsection. She was described in 1845 by Franz Wilhelm Jung chicken and Willem Hendrik de Vriese first time scientifically. The genus name Pinus was already used by the Romans for several pine species. The specific epithet merkusii reminiscent of Lieutenant Hendrik Merkus de Kock, who was from 1826 to 1830 Governor General of the Dutch East Indies. Pinus merkusii very similar to the native to Southeast Asia vikarianten Pinus Latteri. An important distinguishing feature between the two types of the grass stage of the seedlings was seen as an adaptation to frequent prairie fire. As this stage is now being observed in both species, it is questionable whether the differences in morphology that have only quantitative character justify the species status. If not would Pinus Latteri as a variety Pinus merkusii var Latteri ( Mason) Silba or subspecies Pinus merkusii subsp. Latteri ( Mason) DZLi of Pinus be construed merkusii.
Synonyms of species are Pinus finlaysoniana Wall. ex Blume and Pinus sumatrana Mirb.
Use
Pinus merkusii has been comprehensively planted by the Dutch during the colonial period and outside the natural range throughout Indonesia, which was later continued by the Indonesians. The nature there is the main supplier of pine resin, and ensure that Indonesia is one of the main producers of turpentine, which is recovered by distillation from the resin. In the Philippines resin is both merkusii from Pinus and Pinus won kesiya. The tree and year, from 3 to 4 kg are obtained. This younger trees provide more resin than older, whose wood is then further processed into pulp for paper production. High-quality wood is also used as timber and for the production of panels and furniture. The species is not used as an ornamental tree, but they are found in the Botanical Gardens in Indonesia and the Philippines.