Macedonian Pine
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| iMacedonian Pine | ||||||||||||||||
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 Macedonian Pine foliage and cones
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| Pinus peuce Griseb. |
The Macedonian Pine (Pinus peuce; family Pinaceae) is a species of pine tree that occurs in the mountains of the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia and the extreme north of Greece in southeastern Europe, growing typically at (600-) 1,000-2,200 (-2,300) m altitude. It often reaches the alpine tree-line in this area. The mature size is up to 35-40 m height, and 1.5 m trunk diameter.
It is a member of the white pine group, Pinus subgenus Strobus, and like all members of that group, the leaves ('needles') are in fascicles (bundles) of five, with a deciduous sheath. They are 6-11 cm long. Macedonian Pine cones are mostly 8-16 cm long, occasionally up to 20 cm long. The 6-7 mm long seeds have a 2 cm wing and can be wind-dispersed, but are also very often dispersed by Spotted Nutcrackers.
Like other European and Asian white pines, Macedonian Pine is very resistant to White Pine Blister Rust (Cronartium ribicola). This fungal disease was accidentally introduced from Europe into North America, where it has caused severe mortality in the American native white pines (e.g. Western White Pine, Sugar Pine, Whitebark Pine) in many areas. Macedonian Pine is of great value for research into hybridisation and genetic modification to develop rust resistance in these species.
Macedonian Pine is also a popular ornamental tree in parks and large gardens, giving reliable steady though not fast growth on a wide range of sites. It is very tolerant of severe winter cold, hardy down to at least -45°C, and also of wind exposure.
[edit] References
- Conifer Specialist Group (1998). Pinus peuce. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.
