Pinus massoniana
Encyclopedia
Pinus massoniana is a species of pine
, native to a wide area of central and southern China
, including Hong Kong
and Taiwan
, and northern Vietnam
, growing at low to moderate altitudes, mostly below 1,500 m but rarely up to 2,000 m altitude.
tree
reaching 25-45 m in height, with a broad, rounded crown of long branches. The bark
is thick, greyish-brown, and scaly plated at the base of the trunk, and orange-red, thin, and flaking higher on the trunk. The leaves
are needle-like, dark green, with two per fascicle, 12-20 cm long and 0.8-1 mm wide, the persistent fascicle sheath 1.5-2 cm long. The cones
are ovoid, 4-7 cm long, chestnut-brown, opening when mature in late winter to 4-6 cm broad. The seed
s are winged, 4-6 mm long with a 10-15 mm wing. Pollination is in mid spring, with the cones maturing 18–20 months after.
forestry
for replacing or compensating of the loss of the natural forest in southern China.. Chinese rosin
is obtained mainly from the turpentine
of this Pine (Pinus massoniana) and Slash Pine
(P. elliottii).
Logs are mainly used to make pulp for paper industry
.
Leaves are used to give special smoke flavor to a local black tea
, such as Lapsang souchong
of Fujian
province.
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
, native to a wide area of central and southern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, including Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, and northern Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, growing at low to moderate altitudes, mostly below 1,500 m but rarely up to 2,000 m altitude.
Description
It is an evergreenEvergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
reaching 25-45 m in height, with a broad, rounded crown of long branches. The bark
Bark
Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...
is thick, greyish-brown, and scaly plated at the base of the trunk, and orange-red, thin, and flaking higher on the trunk. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are needle-like, dark green, with two per fascicle, 12-20 cm long and 0.8-1 mm wide, the persistent fascicle sheath 1.5-2 cm long. The cones
Conifer cone
A cone is an organ on plants in the division Pinophyta that contains the reproductive structures. The familiar woody cone is the female cone, which produces seeds. The male cones, which produce pollen, are usually herbaceous and much less conspicuous even at full maturity...
are ovoid, 4-7 cm long, chestnut-brown, opening when mature in late winter to 4-6 cm broad. The seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s are winged, 4-6 mm long with a 10-15 mm wing. Pollination is in mid spring, with the cones maturing 18–20 months after.
Ecology
The Pinewood Nematode from North America and Pine-needle Scale Insect from Taiwan, have together virtually eliminated the native Pinus massoniana in Hong Kong in the 1970s and 80s.Uses
The species is a common trees in plantationPlantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
for replacing or compensating of the loss of the natural forest in southern China.. Chinese rosin
Rosin
.Rosin, also called colophony or Greek pitch , is a solid form of resin obtained from pines and some other plants, mostly conifers, produced by heating fresh liquid resin to vaporize the volatile liquid terpene components. It is semi-transparent and varies in color from yellow to black...
is obtained mainly from the turpentine
Turpentine
Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene...
of this Pine (Pinus massoniana) and Slash Pine
Slash Pine
Pinus elliottii, commonly known as the Slash Pine, is a pine native to the southeastern United States, from southern South Carolina west to southeastern Louisiana, and south to the Florida Keys....
(P. elliottii).
Logs are mainly used to make pulp for paper industry
Pulp and paper industry
The global pulp and paper industry is dominated by North American , northern European and East Asian countries...
.
Leaves are used to give special smoke flavor to a local black tea
Black tea
Black tea is a variety of tea that is more oxidized than the oolong, green, and white varieties.All four varieties are made from leaves of the shrub Camellia sinensis. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized teas. Two principal varieties of the...
, such as Lapsang souchong
Lapsang souchong
Lapsang souchong is a black tea originally from the Wuyi region of the Chinese province of Fujian. It is sometimes referred to as smoked tea...
of Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
province.