Pine

Pine, common name for a family of coniferous trees, mostly evergreen, of widespread distribution in the temperate areas of the Northern hemisphere, and for its representative genus. The family, which contains 194 species in 9 genera, has enormous economic importance as a source of timber and wood pulp, among other products. Members of the family characteristically have spirally arranged, needle-shaped leaves. In several genera—for example, cedar and larch—the leaves are mostly borne in clusters or rosettes on short branches, or spurs.

The members of the pine family have separate female and male cones; the former produce the seeds, and the latter the pollen. Male and female cones are produced on the same plant; the seed-bearing cones are woody when mature; the seeds are winged. The family is distinguished from other conifers on the basis of its seed cones. Each of the flattened scales on which the seeds are borne is underlain by a distinct, sterile bract (reduced leaf) that may be shorter than and hidden by the scale, or may have a protruding and visible tip. The seed cones are drooping in all members of the family except the firs and a small genus confined to southern China and south-eastern Asia. All members of the family are evergreen except the larches.

The pine genus itself is the largest in the family, with 93 species, only about 13 of which are native to Europe. Pines grow in a wide range of habitats, from sea level to altitudes of 2,400 m (7,874 ft) in Europe and are distinguished from other members of the family by the leaves, which are in bundles. Each bundle contains a specific number of leaves, depending on the species, with a sheath of short, scale-like leaves at the base.

Pines can be divided into two groups, hard pines and soft pines, based on the number of needles per bundle and other characteristics. The hard pines have needles in bundles of two or three, and the scale leaves at the base persist in mature bundles. The wood is usually hard, with a close grain. Well-known species include the Scots pine, which is the only species of pine native to Britain and is the dominant tree of the great Caledonian forests of Scotland. It is also widespread in Europe, especially on light soils on high ground. It is a distinct tree with a small, often lopsided crown and long bare trunk with reddish bark in the upper part. The Austrian pine grows on alkaline and neutral soils in central and southern Europe. It is widely planted for timber. The stone pine is a Mediterranean species with a characteristic umbrella shape. It is grown both as an ornamental and for the edible seeds, sold as pine kernels.

The soft pines have needles in bundles of five, and the scale leaves fall away from the mature bundles. Their wood is soft and has a coarse grain. There are few native European soft pines but a number of North American and Asian species are widely grown. One native species is the arolla pine, a mountain tree growing at altitudes between 1,500 and 2,400 m (4,921 and 7,874 ft) in the Alps and Carpathian mountains. The Bhutan pine is a Himalayan tree frequently planted for its semi-weeping foliage. Bristlecone pines are native to North America. The Great Basin bristlecone, which can live more than 5,000 years, is possibly one of the oldest living things on the planet. Through analysis of the annual rings of these trees, scientists can gain information on the climate thousands of years ago.

Both pine groups are economically important for their timber, pulp, tar, and turpentine, and for their use as ornamentals. Other members of the pine family include Douglas fir, hemlock fir, and spruce.

Scientific classification: Pines make up the family Pinaceae. Its representative genus is Pinus. Cedars are classified in the genus Cedrus, the larches in the genus Larix, and firs in the genus Abies. The Scots pine is classified as Pinus sylvestris, the Austrian pine as Pinus nigra, the stone pine as Pinus pinea, the arolla pine as Pinus cembra, the Bhutan pine as Pinus wallichiana, and the Great Basin bristlecone as Pinus longaeva. Douglas firs make up the genus Pseudotsuga, hemlock firs the genus Tsuga, and spruces the genus Picea.