Pinus halepensis, commonly known as the Aleppo pine, also known as the Jerusalem pine,
Description
Pinus halepensis is a small to medium-sized
tree, 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
conifer cone 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
wildfire. The cones open wide to allow the seeds to disperse. The seeds are long, with a wing, and are wind-
Seed dispersal.
[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.]
Related species
The Aleppo pine is closely related to the Turkish pine, Canary Island pine, and maritime pine, 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, Algeria, Tunisia, and Spain north to southern France, Malta, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, and Albania, and east to Greece. It has been introduced into many parts of the world, including Portugal. There is an outlying population (from which it was first described) in Syria, Lebanon, southern Turkey, Jordan, Israel 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, 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.
Pinus halepensis is a diagnostic species of the vegetation class Pinetea halepensis.
File:Halep.jpg|Cones
File:Pinus halepensis (صنوبر حلبي), Tlemcen.jpg|Pinus halepensis, Afhir Forest in Tlemcen Province.
File:Pinus halepensis foliage.jpg|Foliage
File:Aleppo Pines grove, Pinet, Hérault 02.jpg|A grove of Aleppo pines in Pinet
File:Mljet 5.4.2016.JPG| Pinus halepensis forest at the island of Mljet
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
File:Dead Aleppo Pine and the Étang de Thau.jpg|A dead Aleppo pine in front of the Étang de Thau
Uses
The resin of the Aleppo pine is used to flavor the Greek wine retsina.
From the pine nuts of the Aleppo pine is made a pudding called Assidat 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 trees in Algeria and Morocco.[
]
In Israel, natural patches of Aleppo pine forests can be found in the Mount Carmel and Galilee regions.[F.T. Maestre, J. Cortina . "Are Pinus halepensis plantations useful as a restoration tool in semiarid Mediterranean areas?" Forest Ecology and Management, 2004 (Elsevier).] 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 www.evenfallstudios.com ]
The Aleppo pine is considered an invasive species though useful in South Africa; in South Australia, a control program is in place on Eyre Peninsula.
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 and the Karoo in South Africa, where the Aleppo pine's considerable heat and xeriscape, fast growth, and aesthetic qualities are highly valued.
In culture
Paul Cézanne 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.]
The Aleppo pine is associated with ANZAC Day and the ANZACs in Australia due to its use by soldiers in the Battle of Lone Pine during the Gallipoli campaign. It is often planted at war memorials.
External links
