- Aleppo Pine
Taxobox
name = Aleppo Pine
status = LR/lc | status_system = IUCN2.3
image_width = 240px
image_caption = Aleppo Pines at Calanques nearMarseille , France
regnum =Plant ae
divisio =Pinophyta
classis = Pinopsida
ordo =Pinales
familia =Pinaceae
genus = "Pinus"
subgenus = "Pinus"
range_
range_map_width = 240px
range_map_caption = Native range of "Pinus halepensis"
species = "P. halepensis"
binomial = "Pinus halepensis"
binomial_authority = MillerThe Aleppo Pine ("Pinus halepensis") is a
pine native to theMediterranean region . The range extends fromMorocco andSpain north to southernFrance ,Italy andCroatia , and east toGreece and northernLibya , with an outlying population (from which it was first described) inSyria (includingAleppo ),Jordan andIsrael . It is generally found at low altitudes, mostly from sea level to 200 m, but can grow at an altitude of up to 1000 m in southern Spain, and up to 1700 m in the south, inMorocco andAlgeria .Farjon, A. (2005). "Pines. Drawings and Descriptions of the genus Pinus". Brill, Leiden. ISBN 90-04-13916-8.] Rushforth, K. (1999). "Trees of Britain and Europe". Collins ISBN 0-00-220013-9.]It is a small to medium-size
tree , reaching 15-25 m tall and with a trunkdiameter of up to 60 cm, exceptionally up to 1 m. The bark is orange-red, thick and deeply fissured at the base of the trunk, and thin and flaky in the upper crown. The leaves ("needles") are very slender, 6-12 cm long, distinctly yellowish green and produced in pairs (rarely a few in threes). The cones are narrow conic, 5-12 cm long and 2-3 cm broad at the base when closed, green at first, ripening glossy red-brown when 24 months old. They open slowly over the next few years, a process quickened if they are exposed to heat such as in forest fires. The cones open 5-8 cm wide to allow the seeds to disperse. The seeds are 5-6 mm long, with a 20 mm wing, and are wind-dispersed.Nahal, I. (1962). Le Pin d'Alep (Pinus halepensis Miller). Étude taxonomique, phytogéographique, écologique et sylvicole. "Ann. Éc. Nat. Eaux Forêts" (Nancy) 19: 1–207.]Aleppo Pine is closely related to the
Turkish Pine ,Canary Island Pine andMaritime Pine which all share many of its characteristics. Some authors include the Turkish Pine as a subspecies of the Aleppo Pine, as "Pinus halepensis" subsp. "brutia" (Ten.) Holmboe,Christensen, K. I. (1997). "Gymnospermae". Pp. 1–17 in Strid, A., & Tan, K., eds., "Flora Hellenica" 1. Königstein.] but it is usually regarded as a distinct species.Richardson, D. M., ed. (1998). "Ecology and Biogeography of Pinus". Cambridge University Press ISBN 0-521-55176-5.] It is a relatively non-variable species, with its morphological characteristics staying constant over the entire range.It is widely planted for timber in its native area, being one of the most important trees in
forestry in Algeria and Morocco. It is also a popularornamental tree , extensively planted in parks and gardens in hot dry areas such as southernCalifornia , where its considerable heat and drought tolerance is highly valued. However, the tree is also considered aferal weed on South Australia'sEyre Peninsula , where an eradication program is in place.The resin of the Aleppo Pine is used to flavor the Greek wine
retsina .In art
Paul Cézanne had an Aleppo Pine in his garden atAix-en-Provence ; this tree was the inspiration and model for his painting, "The Big Trees". As of 2005, the tree is still growing in Cézanne's garden.Cézanne, P. "Visions". In "Architectural Digest" December 2005: 117.]References
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* [http://www.conifers.org/pi/pin/halepensis.htm Gymnosperm Database: "Pinus halepensis"]
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