''Pinus nigra'', the Austrian pine or black pine, is a moderately variable species of

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...

, occurring across

Southern Europe Southern Europe is the southern region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is essentially marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Alb ...

from the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...

to the eastern Mediterranean, on the Anatolian peninsula of Turkey, Corsica and Cyprus, as well as Crimea and in the high mountains of Northwest Africa.

Description

''Pinus nigra'' is a large

conifer Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All ext ...

ous

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

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 ...

, growing to high at maturity and spreading to wide. 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, e ...

is gray to yellow-brown, and is widely split by flaking fissures into scaly plates, becoming increasingly fissured with age. The

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

('needles') are thinner and more flexible in western populations. The ovulate and pollen cones appear from May to June. The mature seed cones are (rarely to 11 cm) long, with rounded scales; they ripen from green to pale gray-buff or yellow-buff in September to November, about 18 months after pollination. The seeds are dark gray, long, with a yellow-buff wing long; they are wind-dispersed when the cones open from December to April. maturity is reached at 15–40 years; large seed crops are produced at 2–5 year intervals. ''Pinus nigra'' is moderately fast growing, at about per year. It usually has a rounded conic form, that becomes irregular with age. The tree can be long-lived, with some trees over 500 years old.

Taxonomy

The species is divided into two subspecies, each further subdivided into three varieties.Gymnosperm Database
''Pinus nigra''
/ref> Some authorities (e.g. ''

Flora Europaea The ''Flora Europaea'' is a 5-volume encyclopedia of plants, published between 1964 and 1993 by Cambridge University Press. The aim was to describe all the national Floras of Europe in a single, authoritative publication to help readers identify ...

'') treat several of the varieties at subspecific rank, but this reflects tradition rather than sound taxonomy, as the distinctions between the taxa are small.Farjon, A. (2005). ''Pines Drawings and Descriptions of the Genus Pinus'' 2nd ed. Brill . ;Subspecies *''P. nigra'' subsp. ''nigra'' in the east of the range, from Austria, northeast and central Italy, east to the Crimea and Turkey. Needles stout, rigid, 1.5–2 mm diameter, with 3–6 layers of thick-walled hypodermal cells. ** ''P. nigra'' subsp. ''nigra'' var. ''nigra'' (syn. ''Pinus nigra'' var. ''austriaca'', ''Pinus nigra'' subsp. ''dalmatica'') (Austrian pine): Austria, Balkans (except southern Greece). ** ''P. nigra'' subsp. ''nigra'' var. ''caramanica'' (Turkish black pine): Turkey, Cyprus, southern Greece. ** ''P. nigra'' subsp. ''nigra'' var. ''italica'' (Italian black pine): central Italy (Villetta Barrea, in Abruzzo National Park) ** ''P. nigra'' subsp. ''nigra'' var. ''pallasiana'' (syn. ''Pinus nigra'' subsp. ''pallasiana'') (Crimean pine): Crimea, Cyprus. * ''P. nigra'' subsp. ''salzmannii'' in the west of the range, from southern Italy to southern France, Spain and North Africa. Needles slender, more flexible, 0.8–1.5 mm diameter, with 1–2 layers of thin-walled hypodermal cells. ** ''P. nigra'' subsp. ''salzmannii'' var. ''salzmannii'' (Pyrenean pine): Pyrenees, Southern France, Northern Spain. ** ''P. nigra'' subsp. ''salzmannii'' var. ''corsicana'' (syn. ''Pinus nigra'' subsp. ''laricio'', ''Pinus nigra'' var. ''maritima'') (Corsican pine): Corsica, Sicily, Southern Italy. *** ''P. nigra'' subsp. ''laricio'' Koekelare Belgische Dendrologie Belg
''Pinus Nigra Laricio Koekelare''
/ref> ** ''P. nigra'' subsp. ''salzmannii'' var. ''mauretanica'' (Atlas Mountains black pine): Morocco, Algeria.

Distribution and habitat

''Pinus nigra'' is a tree of the

Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub is a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. The biome is generally characterized by dry summers and rainy winters, although in some areas rainfall may be uniform. Summers are typically hot in ...

biome A biome () is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader ...

. The majority of the range is in Turkey. It is found in the higher elevations of the South Apennine mixed montane forests

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of ...

in southern Italy and the Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests ecoregion in Sicily. There are remnant populations in the

Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests is an ecoregion, in the temperate coniferous forest biome, which occupies the high mountain ranges of North Africa. The term is also a botanically recognized plant association in the African and Mediterran ...

ecoregion, and in the higher

Atlas Mountains The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb in North Africa. It separates the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; the name "Atlantic" is derived from the mountain range. It stretches around through ...

in Morocco and Algeria. It is found at elevations ranging from sea level to , most commonly from . Several of the varieties have distinct English names.Rushforth, K. (1987). ''Conifers''. Helm . It needs full sun to grow well, is intolerant of shade, and is resistant to snow and ice damage. It has naturalized in parts of the midwestern states of the United States,

Ecology

Crepuscular rays in the woods of Kasterlee, Belgium

In Mediterranean Europe and the Anatolian Peninsula (

Asia Minor Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

), trees usually associated with this species include

Scots pine ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US) or Baltic pine, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and orang ...

(''Pinus sylvestris''),

Serbian spruce ''Picea omorika'', common name Pančić spruce or Serbian spruce ( sr, Панчићева оморика, Pančićeva omorika, ), is a species of coniferous tree endemic to the Drina River valley in western Serbia, and eastern Bosnia and Herzego ...

(''Picea omorika''),

Bosnian pine ''Pinus heldreichii'' (synonym ''P. leucodermis''; family Pinaceae), the Bosnian pine or Heldreich’s pine, is a species of pine native to mountainous areas of the Balkans and southern Italy. Description It is an evergreen tree up to in heigh ...

(''Pinus heldreichii''),

Norway spruce ''Picea abies'', the Norway spruce or European spruce, is a species of spruce native to Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. It has branchlets that typically hang downwards, and the largest cones of any spruce, 9–17 cm long. It is very close ...

(''Picea abies''), Taurus cedar (''

Cedrus libani ''Cedrus libani'', the cedar of Lebanon or Lebanese cedar (), is a species of tree in the genus cedrus, a part of the pine family, native to the mountains of the Eastern Mediterranean basin. It is a large evergreen conifer that has great reli ...

''),

European silver fir ''Abies alba'', the European silver fir or silver fir, is a fir native to the mountains of Europe, from the Pyrenees north to Normandy, east to the Alps and the Carpathians, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and s ...

(''Abies alba'') and related firs. Several species of

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arc ...

(''Juniperus'' spp.), and various

broadleaf tree A broad-leaved, broad-leaf, or broadleaf tree is any tree within the diverse botanical group of angiosperms that has flat leaves and produces seeds inside of fruits. It is one of two general types of trees, the other being a conifer, a tree with n ...

s are associates.

Climate and provenance

''Pinus nigra'' is a light-demanding species, intolerant of shade but resistant to wind and drought. The eastern ''P. nigra'' subsp. ''nigra'' exhibits greater winter frost hardiness (hardy to below −30 °C) than the western ''P. nigra'' subsp. ''salzmannii'' (hardy to about −25 °C). Different provenances (seed sources by geographic area) or varieties are adapted to different soil types: Austrian and Pyrenees origins grow well on a wide range of soil types, Corsican origins grows poorly on

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

, while Turkish and Crimean origins grow well on limestone. Most provenances also show good growth on

podzol In soil science, podzols are the typical soils of coniferous or boreal forests and also the typical soils of eucalypt forests and heathlands in southern Australia. In Western Europe, podzols develop on heathland, which is often a construct of ...

ic soils.

As an invasive species

''Pinus nigra'' has become

naturalised Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...

in a few areas of the US. In

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

it is considered an

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species adv ...

and

noxious weed A noxious weed, harmful weed or injurious weed is a weed that has been designated by an agricultural or other governing authority as a plant that is injurious to agricultural or horticultural crops, natural habitats or ecosystems, or humans or li ...

, along with

lodgepole pine ''Pinus contorta'', with the common names lodgepole pine and shore pine, and also known as twisted pine, and contorta pine, is a common tree in western North America. It is common near the ocean shore and in dry montane forests to the subalpin ...

(''P. contorta'') and Scots pine (''P. sylvestris''), due to their habitat conversion nature in tussock

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...

plant communities, shading out the native bunch grasses as their forest canopy develops.

Uses

Lumber

The timber of European black pine is similar to that of Scots pine (''P. sylvestris'') and

red pine ''Pinus resinosa'', known as red pine (also Norway pine in Minnesota), is a pine native to North America. Description Red pine is a coniferous evergreen tree characterized by tall, straight growth. It usually ranges from in height and in trun ...

(''P. resinosa''), being moderately hard and straight-grained. It does however tend to be rougher, softer, and not as strong, due to its faster growth. It is used for general construction, fuel, and in paper manufacture. In the United Kingdom, ''Pinus nigra'' is important both as a timber tree and in

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Th ...

s (primarily Corsican pine subsp.). Recently however, serious problems have occurred with red band needle blight disease, caused by the

fungus A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately fr ...

Dothistroma septosporum ''Dothistroma septosporum'' or ''Mycosphaerella pini'' is a fungus that causes the disease commonly known as red band needle blight. This fungal disease affects the needles of conifers, but is mainly found on pine. Over 60 species have been rep ...

'', resulting in a major recent decline in forestry planting there. In the United States it is of low importance as a

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

species. In regard to Austrian pine, the fungus ''

'' is widespread and rapidly spreading out of control throughout the United States. It is out of control and not recommended for landscaping, especially in groups or rows.

Ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal use

In Turkey, this pine (subsp. pallasiana) was and is used in various ways, both topically and internally, as well as for construction and for livestock. Among its uses are curing

acne Acne, also known as ''acne vulgaris'', is a long-term skin condition that occurs when dead skin cells and oil from the skin clog hair follicles. Typical features of the condition include blackheads or whiteheads, pimples, oily skin, and ...

common cold The common cold or the cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the respiratory mucosa of the nose, throat, sinuses, and larynx. Signs and symptoms may appear fewer than two days after expos ...

osteomyelitis Osteomyelitis (OM) is an infection of bone. Symptoms may include pain in a specific bone with overlying redness, fever, and weakness. The long bones of the arms and legs are most commonly involved in children e.g. the femur and humerus, while the ...

, and

viral infections A viral disease (or viral infection) occurs when an organism's body is invaded by pathogenic viruses, and infectious virus particles (virions) attach to and enter susceptible cells. Structural Characteristics Basic structural characteristics, ...

; acting as an oral antiseptic; treating cracked hands and feet in the winter; and sealing wooden roofs.

Ornamental use

In the US and Canada, the European black pine is planted as a street tree, and as an

ornamental tree Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

in gardens and parks. Its value as a street tree is largely due to its resistance to salt spray (from road de-icing salt) and various industrial pollutants (including

ozone Ozone (), or trioxygen, is an inorganic molecule with the chemical formula . It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope , breaking down in the l ...

), and its intermediate drought tolerance. In the UK the tree is planted as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens. It is planted with great success as far north as Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In both the US and UK most of the specimens planted are from Austrian sources, the ''P. nigra'' subsp. ''nigra'' and ''P. nigra'' subsp. ''nigra'' var. ''nigra'' seed selections. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, when demand for natural trees was extremely high, its rapid growth, deep green color and low cost made it briefly a popular Christmas tree, but the extreme length of the needles (making it very difficult to decorate) soon led to its fall from favor, and it has long since been abandoned in the US for that purpose. ''P. nigra'' is planted for

windbreak A windbreak (shelterbelt) is a planting usually made up of one or more rows of trees or shrubs planted in such a manner as to provide shelter from the wind and to protect soil from erosion. They are commonly planted in hedgerows around the edges ...

s and shelterbelts in the US, recommended for windbreaks in the Northern Great Plains on medium to deep moist or upland soils.

References

External links

EUFORGEN species page: ''Pinus nigra''. Information, distribution and related resources.
{{Authority control nigra Trees of Europe Flora of North Africa Flora of Western Asia Least concern plants Trees of Mediterranean climate Trees of mild maritime climate Garden plants of Africa Garden plants of Asia Garden plants of Europe Ornamental trees