''Pinus gerardiana'', known as the chilgoza pine or ''neja'' is a pine native to the northwestern Himalayas in Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, Waziristan and northwestern India, growing at elevations between 1800 and 3350 metres. It often occurs in association with '' Cedrus deodara'' and '' Pinus wallichiana''.

Description

The trees are 10-20(-25) m tall with usually deep, wide and open

crowns A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

with long, erect branches. However, crowns are narrower and shallower in dense forests. The

bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, ...

is very flaky, peeling to reveal light greyish-green patches, similar to the closely related lacebark pine (''Pinus bungeana''). The branchlets are smooth and olive-green. The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are needle-like, in fascicles of 3, 6–10 cm long, spreading stiffly, glossy green on the outer surface, with blue-green

stomata In botany, a stoma (from Greek ''στόμα'', "mouth", plural "stomata"), also called a stomate (plural "stomates"), is a pore found in the epidermis of leaves, stems, and other organs, that controls the rate of gas exchange. The pore is bor ...

l lines on the inner face; the sheaths falling in the first year. The cones are 10–18 cm long, 9–11 cm wide when open, with wrinkled, reflexed apophyses and an umbo curved inward at the base. The seeds ( pine nuts) are 17–23 mm long and 5–7 mm broad, with a thin shell and a rudimentary wing. ''P. gerardiana'' is a secondary host for

Himalayan dwarf mistletoe ''Arceuthobium minutissimum'', known as the Indian dwarf mistletoe or Himalayan dwarf mistletoe, is a leafless parasitic plant of ''Pinus wallichiana''. It is considered the smallest known dicotyledonous plant. Description Individual shoots grow ...

Ecology

This species is listed as lower risk, near threatened. Overcutting, and intensive grazing causing poor regeneration, may result in the extinction of this pine species. The Himachal Pradesh State Forest Department has tried

artificial regeneration Artificiality (the state of being artificial or manmade) is the state of being the product of intentional human manufacture, rather than occurring naturally through processes not involving or requiring human activity. Connotations Artificiality ...

of chilgoza pine at many places. However, performance of seedlings was found to be very poor. Pinus gerardiana India18

The scientific name commemorates Captain Patrick Gerard, a British army officer in India. It was introduced to England in 1839, where it grows well in the warmer drier areas of the southeast, but is very rarely planted.

Uses

Chilgoza pine is well known for its edible pine nuts, rich in carbohydrates and proteins. The seeds are locally called and marketed as "chilgoza", "neja" (singular) or "neje" (plural). Chilgoza is one of the most important cash crops of tribal people residing in the

Kinnaur Kinnaur is one of the twelve administrative districts of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. The district is divided into three administrative areas (Kalpa, Nichar (Bhabanagar), and Pooh) and has six tehsils. The administrative he ...

tribal district and the tribal Pangi Valley of Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, India.http://www.uniindia.com/challenge-to-save-chilgoza-wild-mushrooms-in-hp/states/news/1268329.html The seed is very expensive and fetches good money to the local people in Kinnaur. Sold at approximately INR 2000-3600 ($20–$53) per kilogram.

References

External links

Gymnosperm Database: ''Pinus gerardiana''

Photo of chilgoza pine cone

Picture of chilgoza pine seed

Chilgoza.net pine nuts info
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3285379 gerardiana Trees of Afghanistan Edible nuts and seeds Trees of temperate climates Drought-tolerant trees Near threatened plants