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Pinus sibirica
Du Tour
Siberian Pine
Pinaceae
Pinus sibirica is a coniferous tree in the family Pinaceae. It is native to northern China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and eastern Russia.
Description
Pinus sibirica is a tree that grows up to 35 m, with a trunk that grows up to 1.8 m in diameter at breast height. Needles are stiff but slightly curved, typically 6 to 11 cm long in bundles of 5. They have grayish white bands (which are stomata) on the inner sides of the leaves, and are triangular in cross section. The sheaths are finely toothed and not persistent. Buds are about reddish brown and are conical. The bark is pale or grayish brown, and branchlets are yellow to brownish yellow, thick, with dense pale yellow hair. Seed cones are 5 to 8 cm long and 3 to 5.5 cm wide, conical-ovoid, erect. Cone scales are purple-brown and hairy, broadly rhombic to triangular to round, with a yellow-brown tip. These cones stay closed or slightly open, and mature in about 2 years. Seeds are yellow-brown, about 10 mm by 5 to 6 wide, slightly ridged, egg-shaped, without wings (Wu et al. 1999).
Uses
​Note: Please see the disclaimer regarding any information about medical or edible uses.
Pinus sibirica is rarely cultivated, mostly in Russia. Its wood is light, soft, and is used for finer things such as carvings, boxes, utensils, and musical instruments. The seeds are edible, but have to be extracted out of the cone mechanically, as the cones do not open (Farjon 2013).
Distribution
Pinus sibirica is native to mountains and river basins, at an altitude of 800 to 2400 m. It is native to northern China in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang, as well as Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and eastern Russia (Wu et al. 1999).
Status
Pinus sibirica is listed on the IUCN Red List as "Least Concern", as the species has an extremely wide range and has no significant threats (Farjon 2013).
References
Farjon, A. 2013. Pinus sibirica. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42415A2978539.en.
Wu, Z. Y., Raven, P. H., and Hong, D. Y., eds. 1999. Flora of China. Vol. 4 (Cycadaceae through Fagaceae). Beijing: Science Press, and St. Louis: Missouri Botanical Garden Press.
Wu, Z. Y., Raven, P. H., and Hong, D. Y., eds. 1999. Flora of China. Vol. 4 (Cycadaceae through Fagaceae). Beijing: Science Press, and St. Louis: Missouri Botanical Garden Press.
Description
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