Pinus morrisonicola
Pinus morrisonicola is a large evergreen coniferous tree of the genus pine (Pinus ) with five of growing mostly 4-9 cm long needles. The seed cones reach a length 6-11 centimeters. The natural range is located on Taiwan. The species is classified as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List. Pinus morrisonicola is little known in the West, but is often used in China as an ornamental tree or for bonsai.
- 5.1 Literature
- 5.2 Notes and references
Description
Appearance
Pinus morrisonicola grows as evergreen, 30 to 35 meter high tree. The trunk is usually straight and columnar and reaches a diameter at breast height of up to 1.5 meters. The Stammborke is gray to dark gray. The Stammborke young trees and the upper part of the trunk is smooth. Older trees have a rough, scaly bark, which dissolves in thin plates from the trunk in the lower part of the trunk. The branches of young trees grow in whorls, in older trees they are spread and ascending, wherein the strain in the upper part can be forked. The crown is conical or rounded, exposed locations also flat and open. Benadelte branches are thin. Young shoots are reddish brown, losing hair later, a Restbehaarung can be retained in grooves.
Buds and needles
The vegetative buds are small, ovoid, pale brown, not resinous. The needles grow to fifth in an early falling in thin flakes needle sheath. The needles are bent green, thin and flexible, light and slightly twisted, usually 4-9 inches long, triangular in cross-section and 0.6 to 1 mm wide. Dar needle edge is very finely serrated, pointed the end. The two adaxial sides wear clearly visible, white stomatal bands. It also forms two resin canals. The needles remain three to four years on the tree.
Cones and seeds
The pollen cones grow spirally arranged in small groups at the base of young shoots. They are ovate -oblong to cylindrical, 1.5 to 2.5 inches long, at first yellow and then light brown.
The seed cones grow in whorls of three or four on short, 0.5 to 1 inch long, strong, curved stems, initially erected and later suspended. They are green or Glauk, very resinous, ovoid - ellipsoid closed to narrowly ovoid - ellipsoid and 6 to 11 inches long. With open seed scales they have diameter of 5 to 6 centimeters and are then more egg-shaped. The seed scales are thin woody and slightly flexible, 3 to 3.5 inches long and 1.5 to 2 inches wide, oblong ovate wedge base and rounded tips. The standing near the spigot base scales are smaller and usually bent back, the larger seeds shed stand straight. The apophysis is rhombic in outline, thickened in the middle, alongside grooved and brown, shiny when ripe cone. The umbo is terminal. He is bent dull and easily.
The seeds are ellipsoid - ovate or narrowly ovate, 7-10 mm long and 5-6 mm wide. The seed wing is light brown, 15 to 20 mm long and 5-8 mm wide.
Distribution, ecology and hazard
The natural range of Pinus morrisonicola lies Taiwan. There, the species grows in the mountains on rocky ridges at altitudes between 300-2300 meters. They are also found in disturbed forest areas without canopy, for example after a rock fall where they may compete for some time with deciduous trees, until the canopy closes again. The distribution area is the Hardiness Zone 8 attributed with mean annual minimum temperatures between -12.2 to -6.7 ° C (10 ° to 20 ° Fahrenheit ).
In the IUCN Red List Pinus morrisonicola as Near Threatened ( " Near Threatened " ) classified. The holdings cover approximately 800 square kilometers in more than ten different populations in a total area of about 7000 square kilometers. The transformation of the original forests into agricultural land, there was a decline in stocks, the extent is unknown. The stocks are not highly fragmented and there is no evidence of a further decline in the distribution area. Main threat to the species is the conversion of forest areas in lower elevations, such as the establishment of plantations of cedars (Cryptomeria japonica). Some stocks grow in protected areas.
Systematics and history of research
Pinus morrisonicola is a species in the genus of pine (Pinus ), in which it is assigned to the subgenus strobus, Quinquefoliae section, sub-section strobus. The species was first described in 1908 by Hayata Bunzo in the Gardeners' Chronicle. The genus name Pinus was already used by the Romans for several pine species. The specific epithet morrisonicola means as much as " growing on Mount Morrison ", the highest mountain of Taiwan, known as Yu Shan today.
Pinus morrisonicola is close to the girls pine ( Pinus parviflora ) related, but from which it differs by the longer needles and the larger seed cones. Due to the similarity it is only as a variety Pinus parviflora var morrisonicola ( Hayata ) CLWu the species Pinus parviflora assigned. Other synonyms are formosana Hayata Pinus, Pinus and Pinus hayatana Businský uyematsui Hayata.
Use
Pinus morrisonicola is used to a small extent as a local wood supplier, the quality of the wood corresponds to the other East Asian strobus species such as the girls pine ( Pinus parviflora ). They are found in the west rare in gardens, but it is more commonly used as an ornamental tree in China and planted as a bonsai.