Pinus densiflora, also called the Japanese red pine,
Distribution and habitat
P. densiflora has a home range that includes
Japan, the
Korean Peninsula, northeastern
China (
Heilongjiang,
Jilin,
Liaoning,
Shandong and northeastern
Jiangsu) and the extreme southeast of
Russia (in
Siberia, southern
Primorsky Krai).
Name
The tree is called "Akamatsu (アカマツ)" in Japanese. The etymology behind "Akamatsu" is a combination of "red" or "aka (赤/あか)", and "pine" or "matsu (松/まつ)". The meaning behind "aka" means "red", most likely alluding to the bark color whereas "matsu" is believed to have derived from the word "to wait (待つ/matsu)" as the tree was believed to have "waited for the arrival of the gods (
kami)" or "waited throughout winter".
In Korean, the tree is called "Sonamu (소나무)", meaning "So-tree". The meaning behind "so" is believed to be from "sol (솔)" an ancient word that means "pine", making "Sonamu/So-tree" mean "pine tree".
In China, the plant is known as "chì sōng (赤松)", sharing the characters and meaning of "red pine" with Japanese. It most likely adopted the name from the Japanese counterpart.
Description
The
leaves are needle-like, long, with two per fascicle. The short leaves are 5–6 cm. There are
lines on both sides of the leaf, two
, about three to nine
, and fine serrations on the edge of the leaf. Branchlets are covered with whitish powder. Male cones are light reddish yellow, clustered in the lower part of new branches. Female cones are light reddish purple and solitary or clustered into two to three cones. The cones are dark brown-yellow or light brown-yellow when mature and are dehiscent at maturity, with seed scales usually thin, and seeds winged. The bark is orange-red and cracked into irregular scale-like pieces. The heartwood is reddish-brown, and the sapwood light reddish-yellow. The height of the tree is . The crown can reach .
"The distribution of P. densiflora in China has the following pattern of variation: the more northward it is distributed, the needles are relatively shorter, the white powder on the branchlets is sometimes less obvious or partly obvious, and the color of the cones is lighter. It is light brown yellow".
The conifer cone are long. It is closely related to Scots pine, differing in the longer, slenderer leaves which are mid-green without the glaucous-blue tone of Scots pine. This pine has become a popular ornamental and has several cultivars, but in the winter it becomes yellowish. The plant prefers full sun on well-drained, slightly acidic soil.
Uses
Strong wind resistance,
P. densiflora is an excellent tree species for afforestation in stony mountains, barren soil and sandy land. The timber can be used for construction, electric poles, sleepers, ore pillars, furniture, and wood fiber industrial raw materials. The trunk is rich in
resin, from which
rosin and
turpentine can be extracted.
Essential oil can be extracted from the leaves. In northeast China,
matsutake relies on
P. densiflora for growth. "
Jilin Tianfozhishan National Nature Reserve/Jilin Tianfozhishan National Nature Reserve" takes
Matsutake,
P. densiflora and
ecosystem as the main protection objects.
P. densiflora wood has natural anti-corrosion and anti-mildew properties, and natural preservatives and natural wood anti-mold agents can be extracted.
P. densiflora has non-stinging needles and soft branches, making it easy to shape as a
penjing.
==Gallery==
Further reading
