Pine

Tree Pine trees are evergreen, coniferous resinous trees (or, rarely, shrubs) growing tall, with the majority of species reaching tall. The smallest are Siberian dwarf pine and Potosi pinyon, and the tallest is an tall sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) located in Yosemite National Park. Pines are long lived and typically reach ages of 100–1,000 years, some even more. The longest-lived is the Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva). One individual in the White Mountains of California, dubbed "Methuselah", is among the world's oldest living organisms at around 4,800 years old. An older tree near Wheeler Peak, now cut down, was dated at 4,900 years old. The spirals of branches, needles, and cone scales are arranged in Fibonacci number ratios. File:Pinus lambertiana ProspectOR.jpg|Pinus lambertiana is the tallest pine species. File:Tree Types and Barks 004.jpg|Many pines, like Pinus taeda, have thick bark that flakes into scales. File:Pinus bungeana— bark at Morris Arboretum 01 (cropped).jpg|Some species, like Pinus bungeana, have thin bark. Foliage Pines have four types of leaf: The male cones are small, typically 1–5 cm long, and only present for a short period (usually in spring, though autumn in a few pines), falling as soon as they have shed their pollen. The female cones take 1.5–3 years (depending on species) to mature after pollination, with actual fertilisation delayed one year. At maturity, the female cones are 3–60 cm long. Each cone has numerous spirally-arranged scales, with two seeds on each fertile scale; the scales at the base and tip of the cone are small and sterile without seeds. the seeds are only released by the bird breaking the cones open. In others, the seeds are stored in closed cones for many years until an environmental cue triggers the cones to open, releasing the seeds. This is called serotiny. The most common form of serotiny is pyriscence, in which resin binds the cones shut until the resin is melted by a forest fire, for example in P. radiata and P. muricata. The seeds are then released after the fire, enabling them to colonise the burnt ground with minimal competition from other plants. File:Pinus radiata cone.jpg|Pinus radiata female (seed) cone File:2021-04-18 11 01 55 Pollen cones on a Loblolly Pine along a walking path in the Franklin Farm section of Oak Hill, Fairfax County, Virginia.jpg|Pinus taeda male (pollen) cones File:KoreanPineSeeds.jpg|Pinus koraiensis seeds File:Pitch pine cones exposed to fire.jpg|Pinus rigida cones open when exposed to fire. (left to right: before; after; 24 hours later) == Naming ==

The modern English name "pine" derives from Latin pinus, traced to the Indo-European base *pīt- 'resin'. Before the 19th century, pines were often called firs, a name now applied to another genus, Abies. In some European languages, Germanic cognates of the Old Norse name are still in use for pines, as in Danish fyr and German Föhre. The genus Pinus was named by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Pinus sylvestris, the Scots pine, was later chosen as the type species. Several other conifers are commonly known as pines, such as the Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla); however, they belong to other genera. == Evolution ==

Fossil history The Pinaceae, the pine family, first appeared in the Jurassic period. The genus Pinus first appeared during the Early Cretaceous; the oldest verified fossil is Pinus yorkshirensis from the Hauterivian-Barremian boundary (~130-125 million years ago) from the Speeton Clay, England. However, there are possible records of the genus from the Jurassic. File:Pinus yorkshirensis holotype (straight).jpg|Oldest pine fossil: Pinus yorkshirensis cone. Early Cretaceous, 131–129 mya File:Pinus johndayensis Fossil High School Cove Creek.jpg|Fossil cone and needles of Pinus johndayensis, Oligocene, 33 mya External phylogeny Based on transcriptome analysis, Pinus is most closely related to the genus Cathaya, which in turn is closely related to the genus Picea, the spruces. These genera, with firs and larches, form the pinoid clade of the Pinaceae. Research using large genetic datasets has clarified these relationships. Each subgenus is further divided into sections and subsections. World Flora Online accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as current, with additional synonyms, and Plants of the World Online 126 species-rank taxa (113 species and 13 nothospecies), making it the largest genus among the conifers. The highest species diversity of pines is found in Mexico. == Distribution ==

Pines are native to the Northern Hemisphere, with the most species in North America, some in Asia, and a few in Europe. Only two species, Pinus sylvestris and Pinus sibirica, occur in more than one of those regions (Asia and Europe). They occupy large areas of boreal forest (taiga) in latitudes between 50° and 60° N; about a third of this biome is in North America and Scandinavia, the rest in Siberia. The northernmost species is Scots pine, reaching just north of 70° N in Stabbursdalen National Park in Norway. One species, Pinus merkusii, crosses the equator in Sumatra to 2°S. In North America, various species occur in regions at latitudes from as far north as 66° N Various species have been introduced to temperate and subtropical regions of both hemispheres, where they are grown as timber or cultivated as ornamental plants in parks and gardens. A number of such introduced species have become naturalised, and species such as Pinus radiata are considered invasive in some regions. File:Pinus sylvestris - Furu Stabbursdalen.jpg|Most northerly: Pinus sylvestris in Stabbursdalen National Park, Norway, at 70° North File:Lake Baikal, Siberian mixed forest, Taiga, Siberia, Russia.jpg|Pines and birches in the Siberian taiga by Lake Baikal File:Pines plant.jpg|Pinus merkusii in Sumatra: the only pine whose range extends south of the equator File:Prospectsydneypineforest.jpg|Pinus radiata in Australia, where it was introduced in the late 19th century. == Ecology ==

Environmental factors Pines grow in a very large variety of environments, ranging from semi-arid desert to rainforests, from sea level up to , from the coldest to the hottest environments on Earth. They often occur in mountainous areas with favourable soils. Pinus contorta is a fire-dependent species, requiring wildfires to maintain healthy populations of diverse ages. Pinus canariensis is highly fire-resistant, with adaptations such as growing epicormic sprouts after losing its needles in a fire. Some species such as Pinus muricata need fire to open their cones, allowing them to disperse their seeds. Other pines such as Pinus mugo and Pinus yunnanensis can grow at high elevation. Some pines, such as Pinus sabiniana, are adapted to growth in hot, dry semidesert climates. File:Бор кривул 01.JPG|Pinus mugo, a dwarf mountain species at altitude in Macedonia File:Prescribed burn in a Pinus nigra stand in Portugal.JPG|A controlled burn in a Pinus nigra stand, Portugal File:Lodgepole pine Yellowstone 1998 near firehole.jpg|A stand of Pinus contorta regenerating 10 years after a major fire at Yellowstone National Park Species interactions Pine needles serve as food for the caterpillar larvae of several moth species including the pine beauty, a pest of mature stands of pine trees, and the pine hawk-moth, a large species which causes only occasional damage. Some moths, notably the pine processionary, whose caterpillars can completely defoliate pine trees, and the pine-tree lappet, are serious pests of commercial forestry. File:Panolis.flammea.7102.jpg|Pine beauty moth (Panolis flammea) File:Sphinx pinastri 03.JPG|Pine hawk-moth (Sphinx pinastri) caterpillar feeding on pine needles File:Treviño - Cerro de Treviño - Nido de procesionaria 01 (cropped).jpg|Tent of pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) caterpillars File:Dendrolimus pini larva.jpg|Pine-tree lappet (Dendrolimus pini) caterpillars on Scots pine with damage to needles Several species of pine are attacked by nematodes, causing pine wilt disease, which can quickly kill trees. The sawfly Diprion pini is likewise a serious commercial pest of pine forestry, especially of Pinus sylvestris. Some birds such as nutcrackers are specialist feeders on pine seeds, and are important in distributing the seeds widely. Crossbills rely on Pinus sylvestris seeds in Scotland, and similarly help significantly to disperse the seeds, whereas red squirrels feed on the seeds but do little for seed dispersal. Pine pollen may contribute to food webs involving detritivores. Nutrients from pollen aid detritivores in development, growth, and maturation, and may enable fungi to decompose plant litter which is low in nutrients. The edible basidiomycete fungus Boletus pinophilus (pine bolete) forms an ectomycorrhizal association with pines such as P. cembra, P. nigra, and P. sylvestris. File:Diprion pini 2 beentree.jpg|Mass of Diprion pini sawfly caterpillars on pine tree File:Spotted nutcracker with pine nut (cropped).jpg|Northern nutcracker with nut of Pinus sibirica File:Pinus pumila cone eaten by Nucifraga caryocatactes.JPG|Pinus pumila cone opened by nutcrackers File:Boletus pinophilus3.JPG|The pine bolete Boletus pinophilus forms an ectomycorrhizal association with several pines. == Uses ==

Timber Pines are among the most commercially important tree species, valued for their timber and wood pulp throughout the world. In temperate and tropical regions, they are fast-growing softwoods that grow in relatively dense stands. Commercial pines are grown in plantations for timber that is denser and therefore more durable than spruce (Picea). Pine wood is widely used in high-value carpentry items such as furniture, window frames, panelling, floors, and roofing due to its abundance and low cost. As pine wood has little resistance to insects or decay after logging, in its untreated state it is generally recommended for indoor construction purposes only, such as indoor drywall framing. It is commonly used in Canadian Lumber Standard graded wood. For outside use, pine needs to be treated with copper azole, chromated copper arsenate or other suitable chemical preservatives. File:John Deere 2054 DHSP forestry swing machine, Kaibab National Forest 1.jpg|Logging Pinus ponderosa, Arizona File:100 mm furu.jpg|100 mm (4 inch) thick pine timber sawn in sawmill, Sweden File:Arquitectura en madera.jpg|Pine as an architectural material, Spain File:Interior of the IKEA Băneasa 14.jpg|Pine furniture, 2019 Ornamental uses Many pine trees make attractive ornamental plantings for parks and larger gardens, while dwarf cultivars are suitable for smaller spaces. There are at least 818 named cultivars (or trinomials) recognised by the American Conifer Society ACS. Some species have large pine nuts, which are harvested and sold for cooking and baking. They are an ingredient of pesto alla genovese. The soft, moist, white inner bark (cambium) beneath the woody outer bark is edible and very high in vitamins A and C. It can be eaten raw in slices as a snack or dried and ground up into a powder for use as an ersatz flour or thickener in stews, soups, and other foods, such as bark bread. The use of pine cambium gave the Adirondack Indians their name, from the Mohawk Indian word atirú:taks, meaning "tree eaters". In Greece, the wine retsina is flavoured with resin from Pinus halepensis (Aleppo pine). File:Christmas pinioli cookies.jpg|Pinolate biscuits with pine nuts File:BasilPesto.JPG|Pesto with basil and pine nuts File:Retsina.JPG|A bottle of retsina,a Greek wine flavoured with Pinus halepensis resin Other uses Turpentine oil, traditionally used as a solvent in paints, resins and varnishes, is extracted from pine resin or pine wood. Pine needles are woven into baskets in Latin America. In traditional Chinese medicine, pine resin is used for burns, wounds and skin complaints. Chinese ink sticks for calligraphy are often made of pine soot, producing a matt black ink when mixed with water. Pine needles have been used by Latvian designer Tamara Orjola to create biodegradable products including paper, furniture, textiles and dyestuffs. File:Chipping a turpentine tree.jpg|Extracting resin to make turpentine and rosin (before 1920) File:TianguisArtesanalPatzcuaro2016 113.jpg|Pine needle baskets, Pátzcuaro, Mexico, 2016 File:胡开文龙翔凤舞柱形墨.jpg|Chinese ink sticks can be made of pine soot File:PineEssentialOil.png|Essential oil from Pinus sylvestris ==Culture==

tone poem Pines of Rome depicts the stone pines of the Villa Borghese gardens. In 1924, the Italian composer Ottorino Respighi completed his tone poem Pines of Rome. Each of its four movements depicts a pine-clad setting in the city of Rome, namely the Villa Borghese gardens, near a catacomb, on the Janiculum Hill, and along the Appian Way. Pines are often featured in paintings. A 2021 study lists over a hundred works: many are by artists from the Mediterranean region, such as Paul Cézanne and Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot; Northern Europe, such as Akseli Gallen-Kallela and James William Giles; and North America, with works by Tom Thomson and others. The paintings often depict Pinus pinea by the Mediterranean sea; other species include P. sylvestris and P. pinaster. The pine is a particular motif in Chinese art and literature, which sometimes combines painting and poetry in the same work. The pine symbolises longevity and steadfastness, as it retains its green needles throughout the year. Sometimes the pine and cypress are paired. At other times the pine, plum, and bamboo are considered as the "Three Friends of Winter". File:Ménade relieve romano (Museo del Prado) 04b.jpg|A maenad (follower of Dionysus) holding a thyrsus topped with a pine cone. Roman, 120–140 AD File:Ikeno Taiga 池大雅 - Pines on Mount Tai (after Gao Qian (after Tang Yin)) - 1985.203 - Arthur M. Sackler Museum.jpg|Pines on Mount Tai, Ike no Taiga, Japan, 18th century File:Pissarro - the-pine-trees-of-louveciennes-1870.jpg|The Pine Trees of Louveciennes, Camille Pissarro, 1870 File:Le pin à l'Estaque (P. Cézanne, Musée de l'Orangerie) (4619406661).jpg|''Le pin à l'Estaque'',Paul Cézanne, 1875 File:Under the Pines PMA(15) (16982300531).jpg|Under the Pines, Evening, Claude Monet, 1888 File:'Pine Clouds', 1903 painting by Wu Ku-hsiang.jpg|"Pine Clouds", fan painting by Wu Ku-hsiang, China, 1903 File:Tom Thomson - The West Wind - Google Art Project.jpg|The West Wind,Tom Thomson, 1917,depicting Pinus resinosa == See also ==