''Pinus halepensis'', commonly known as the Aleppo pine, also known as the Jerusalem pine, is a
pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...
native to the
Mediterranean region
In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and wa ...
.
Description
''Pinus halepensis'' is a small to medium-sized
tree
In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
, tall, with a
trunk diameter up to , exceptionally up to . 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, long, distinctly yellowish green, and produced in pairs (rarely a few in threes). The
cones
A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex.
A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines conn ...
are narrow conic, long and 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 wide to allow the seeds to disperse. The seeds are long, with a wing, and are wind-
dispersed.
[Nahal, I. (1962). Le Pin d'Alep (''Pinus halepensis'' Miller). Étude taxonomique, phytogéographique, écologique et sylvicole. ''Annales de l'École National des Eaux et Forêts'' (Nancy) 19: 1–207.]
File:Halep.jpg, Cones
File:Pinus halepensis foliage.jpg, Foliage
File:Pinus halepensis Trunk 11a.jpg, Bark and trunk
File:Pinus halepensis1.jpg, Plate from Lambert's ''Description of the Genus Pinus''
File:Cone of pinus halepensis in hebron.jpg, Cone of pinus halepensis in Hebron
Hebron ( ar, الخليل or ; he, חֶבְרוֹן ) is a Palestinian. city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judaean Mountains, it lies above sea level. The second-largest city in the West Bank (after Eas ...
File:Mljet 5.4.2016.JPG, ''Pinus halepensis'' forest
File:Dead Aleppo Pine and the Étang de Thau.jpg, A dead Aleppo pine in front of the Étang de Thau
The Étang de Thau (; oc, Estanh de Taur) or Bassin de Thau is the largest of a string of lagoons (''étangs'') that stretch along the French coast from the Rhône river to the foothills of the Pyrenees and the border to Spain in the Languedoc-R ...
File:Aleppo Pines grove, Pinet, Hérault 02.jpg, A grove of Aleppo pines in Pinet
Related species
The Aleppo pine is closely related to the Turkish pine
''Pinus brutia'', commonly known as the Turkish pine, is a species of pine native to the eastern Mediterranean region. The bulk of its range is in Turkey.
Turkish pine is also known by several other common names: Calabrian pine (from a naturalis ...
, Canary Island pine
''Pinus canariensis'', the Canary Island pine, is a species of gymnosperm in the conifer family Pinaceae. It is a large, evergreen tree, native and endemic to the outer Canary Islands of the Atlantic Ocean.
Description
''Pinus canariensis'' is a ...
, and maritime pine
''Pinus pinaster'', the maritime pine or cluster pine, is a pine native to the south Atlantic Europe region and parts of the western Mediterranean. It is a hard, fast growing pine bearing small seeds with large wings.
Description
''Pinus pinast ...
, 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 .] It is a relatively nonvariable species, in that its morphological characteristics stay constant over the entire range.[
]
Distribution and habitat
The native range of ''Pinus halepensis'' extends from Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
, Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
, Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
, and Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
north to southern France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
, Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
, and Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
, and east to Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
. It has been introduced into many parts of the world, including Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
. There is an outlying population (from which it was first described) in Syria, Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
, southern Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
, Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
, Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
and Palestine.
The species is generally found at low altitudes, mostly from sea level to , but can grow above in southern and eastern Spain, well over on Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...
, and up to in the south, in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.[Farjon, A. (2005). ''Pines. Drawings and Descriptions of the genus Pinus''. Brill, Leiden. .][Rushforth, K. (1999). ''Trees of Britain and Europe''. Collins .]
The tree is able to quickly colonize open and disturbed areas. It is classed as an invasive species in South Africa. It can grow on all substrates and almost in all bioclimates in the Mediterranean.
''Pinus halepensis'' is a diagnostic species of the vegetation class ''Pinetea halepensis''.
Uses
The resin of the Aleppo pine is used to flavor the Greek wine retsina
Retsina ( el, Ρετσίνα) is a Greek white (or rosé) resinated wine, which has been made for at least 2,000 years. Its unique flavor is said to have originated from the practice of sealing wine vessels, particularly amphorae, with Alepp ...
.
From the pine nuts of the Aleppo pine is made a pudding called '' asidet zgougou'' in the Tunisian dialect; it is served in bowls, covered with cream, and topped with almonds and small candies.
The Maltese dessert '' prinjolata'' is also prepared using these pine nuts, both in its filling as well as a topping.
Aleppo pine are used for bonsai.
Forestry
In its native area, ''P. halepensis'' is widely planted for its fine timber, making it one of the most important forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...
trees in Algeria and Morocco.[
In ]Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, natural patches of Aleppo pine forests can be found in the Carmel and Galilee regions.[Newman Information Center for Desert Research and Development, Aleppo pine](_blank)
/ref> The Aleppo pine, along with ''Pinus brutia
''Pinus brutia'', commonly known as the Turkish pine, is a species of pine native to the eastern Mediterranean region. The bulk of its range is in Turkey.
Turkish pine is also known by several other common names: Calabrian pine (from a naturali ...
'', has been planted extensively by the Jewish National Fund. It proved very successful in Yatir Forest
Yatir Forest ( he, יער יתיר) is a forest in Israel on the edge of the Negev Desert. The forest covers an area of 30,000 dunams (), and is the largest planted forest in Israel.
History
The first trees were planted in 1964 by the Jewish ...
in the northern Negev
The Negev or Negeb (; he, הַנֶּגֶב, hanNegév; ar, ٱلنَّقَب, an-Naqab) is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. ), in the north. At its sout ...
(on the edge of the desert), where foresters had not expected it to survive. Many Aleppo pine forests exist today in Israel and are used for recreational purposes. Although it is a local species, some argue that the historical replacement of natural oak maquis shrubland and garrigue
Garrigue or garigue ( ), also known as phrygana ( el, φρύγανα , n. pl.), is a type of low scrubland ecoregion and plant community in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome.
It is found on limestone soils in southern ...
with tall stands of pine has created "ecological deserts" and has significantly changed the species assemblage of these regions. The species produces timber which is valued for its hardness, density and unproblematic seasoning. Seasoned timber is inclined to tear out with planing, but this can be avoided by using sharp blades or adjusting the sharpening angle of tools.Reducing Tear Out when Wood Planing
/ref>
The Aleppo pine is considered an invasive species though useful in South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
; in South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
, a control program is in place on Eyre Peninsula
The Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded by the Spencer Gulf on the east, the Great Australian Bight on the west, and the Gawler Ranges to the north.
Originally called Eyre’s Peninsula, it was named af ...
.
Landscape
''Pinus halepensis'' is a popular ornamental tree, extensively planted in gardens, parks, and private and agency landscapes in hot dry areas such as Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...
and the Karoo in South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
, where the Aleppo pine's considerable heat and drought tolerance
Drought tolerance is the ability to which a plant maintains its biomass production during arid or drought conditions. Some plants are naturally adapted to dry conditions'','' surviving with protection mechanisms such as desiccation tolerance, detox ...
, fast growth, and aesthetic qualities are highly valued. It is also used as a bonsai subject where it's mix of juvenile and mature foliage makes it stand out from other pine species.
In culture
Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th-century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically d ...
had an Aleppo pine in his garden at Aix-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
External links
Gymnosperm Database: ''Pinus halepensis''
''Pinus halepensis''
��distribution map, genetic conservation units and related resources. European Forest Genetic Resources Programme
European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN) is an international network that supports the conservation and sustainable use of forest genetic resources in Europe. The programme’s tasks include to coordinate and promote '' in situ'' an ...
(EUFORGEN)
{{Authority control
Drought-tolerant trees
Flora of Lebanon and Syria
Flora of Palestine (region)
Garden plants of Africa
Garden plants of Asia
Least concern plants
Ornamental trees
Plants described in 1768
halepensis
Trees of Europe
Trees of Mediterranean climate
Trees of Morocco
Taxa named by Philip Miller
Flora of Malta
Flora of the Mediterranean Basin