Pinus roxburghii
Pinus roxburghii
Pinus roxburghii, German referred to as Emodi pine is an evergreen coniferous tree of the genus pine (Pinus ), usually with 25 to 30 centimeters long needles and 10 to 15 centimeters long seed cones. The natural range is located in the Himalayan region in embossed by the monsoon climate. The species is not considered endangered and is a major supplier of resin, is produced from the camphor. Railway sleepers are made from the wood.
- 4.1 resin
- 4.2 wood
- 4.3 Other Uses
- 5.1 Literature
- 5.2 Notes and references
Description
Appearance
Pinus roxburghii grows as evergreen, usually up to 30 meters, sometimes up to 50 or 55 meter high tree. The trunk is straight and pillar- shaped and has a diameter at breast height of up to 300 centimeters, but usually to 100 centimeters. The Stammborke is reddish brown, thick, deeply furrowed in older trees along and breaks into elongated, scaly gray-brown under influence of weather boards with brown and reddish hues. The branches are horizontal or erect and form in older trees an open, dome-shaped crown. The needled branches are thin or thick, pale gray or light brown and covered with leaf-shaped, brown precipitate leaves that remain on the tree for several years and their tips curl later.
Buds and needles
The brown winter buds are small, egg-shaped and not resinous. The needles grow in threes in a lasting, 25 to 30 millimeters long, basal needle sheath on the ends of branches and remain one to two years on the tree. They are bright green, straight and slightly pendulous, thin and pliable, 25 to 30 and sometimes up to 35 centimeters long and 1.2 to 1.7 mm wide, with broadly triangular cross-section. The needle edge is finely serrated, the end to acuminate pointed. On all sides there are fine needle stomatal lines. The needle two runs centrally resin ducts are formed.
Cones and seeds
The pollen cones grow spirally arranged at the base of young shoots. They are ovate -oblong and 13 to 15 millimeters long. The seed cones grow singly or in whorls of two to five at strong branches. They are short-stalked, broadly ovate to ovate - conical, are 10 to 15, rarely 20 inches long and are closed from 7 to 12 inches wide. They open after several years of very little and have a maximum diameter of 13 centimeters. The seed scales are oblong, woody and inelastic. The apophysis is strong, thick, conical, sharply keeled transversely rhombic to irregular pentagonal base, sometimes strongly recurved, smooth and shiny yellowish brown or gray-brown. The umbo is triangular, blunt and non-reinforced. The seeds are obovate, 8-12 sometimes flattened to 15 millimeters long and light. The seed wing is 20 to 25 millimeters long, 8-10 mm wide, translucent and light brown as the seed. The seeds ripen from October to November.
The chromosome number is 2n = 24
Distribution, ecology and hazard
The natural range of Pinus roxburghii ranging from Afghanistan and Pakistan, Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal to Myanmar and in the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh. It grows at altitudes of 400-2300 meters, scattered specimens are found even up to 2500 meters altitude. The species is widespread and often far especially in the north-south oriented valleys of the outer Himalayas and its foothills and forms especially on dry, fire- prone slopes pure stands. Full-grown trees are relatively fire resistant, and destroyed by fire areas are rapidly repopulated ( pioneer species ). During prolonged dry periods, they almost lost all needles. Suitable substrates are both deep soils as well as well as bare rock. The distribution area is located in the monsoon belt with heavy summer rain. At higher altitudes, Pinus roxburghii is growing along with the Himalayan cedar ( Cedrus deodara ) and the tears pine ( Pinus wallichiana ), the tree line back together with representatives of fir (Abies ). At lower altitudes, deciduous trees such as the oak Quercus incana, Schima wallichii and Rhododendron arboreum dominate. In the deepest layers of their range to their occurrence restricted to rocky, north-facing slopes or east. The distribution area is the Hardiness Zone 9 is associated with mean annual minimum temperatures -6.6 to -1.2 degrees Celsius ( 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit).
The IUCN Red List is classified Pinus roxburghii as not at risk ( " Lower Risk / least concern "). It is noted, however, that a reassessment is pending.
Systematics and history of research
Pinus roxburghii is a species in the genus of pine (Pinus ), in which it is assigned to the subgenus Pinus, section Pinus pinaster, and subsections. It was described in 1897 by Charles Sprague Sargent in The Silva of North America for the first time scientifically. The genus name Pinus was already used by the Romans for several pine species. The specific epithet roxburghii reminiscent of the Scottish botanist William Roxburgh (1751-1815), who worked for the British East India Company and Director of the Botanical Garden of Calcutta was. A synonym of the species is Pinus longifolia Roxb. ex Lamb.
Use
Resin
Pinus roxburghii is used but in the entire Himalayan region especially in northwestern India for resin extraction. The resin extraction dates back to the British, the turpentine and other products produced from the resin, which were used for the maintenance of its ships. To maintain the income the Indian Forest Department was created in 1888. Even after decolonization, the type remained in India the main source of turpentine, but the production fell significantly due to poor management of forests and destructive resins of trees. The situation has now improved, the resin of Pinus roxburghii is today ( 2010) but usually further processed into camphor or used for medical purposes.
Wood
The wood is treated with preservatives often used for the production of railway sleepers, serves as a timber and is used for carpentry and joinery. In addition, it is further processed to pulp for the paper industry.
For other uses
The bark contains 10 to 14 percent tannin, used for tanning leather and orange - dyeing wood. The seeds are edible, but not tasty. The needles will be used as litter or mixed with the manure used as fertilizer. Outside of India and Pakistan, the species is rarely cultivated, but has been introduced in South Africa as a forest tree. Sometimes it is also used as an ornamental tree, used especially in the Mediterranean area. Although it is exposed in their natural range from freezing, it is frost -resistant to a small extent.