Swiss Pine
Encyclopedia
The Swiss Pine or Arolla Pine, Pinus cembra, is a species of pine
tree
that occurs in the Alps
and Carpathian Mountains
of central Europe
, in Poland
(Tatra Mountains
), Switzerland
, France
, Italy
, Austria
, Germany
, Slovenia
, Slovakia
, Ukraine
and Romania
. It typically grows at 1200 metres (3,937 ft) to 2300 metres (7,545.9 ft) altitude. It often reaches the alpine tree line in this area. The mature size is typically between 25 metres (82 ft) and 35 metres (114.8 ft) in height, and the trunk diameter can be up to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) .
It is a member of the white pine
group, Pinus subgenus Strobus, and like all members of that group, the leaves
('needles') are in fascicles (bundles) of five, with a deciduous sheath. The needle-like leaves are 5 centimetres (2 in) to 9 centimetres (3.5 in) long. The cones
, which contain the seeds (or nuts), of the Swiss Pine are 4 centimetres (1.6 in) to 8 centimetres (3.1 in) long. The 8 millimetre (0.31496062992126 in) to 12 millimetre (0.47244094488189 in) long seed
s have only a vestigial wing and are dispersed by Spotted Nutcracker
s.
The very similar Siberian Pine
(Pinus sibirica) is treated as a variety or subspecies of Swiss Pine by some botanists. It differs in having slightly larger cones, and needles with three resin
canals instead of two as in the Swiss Pine.
Like other European and Asia
n white pines, Swiss Pine is very resistant to White Pine Blister Rust (Cronartium ribicola). This fungal disease was accidentally introduced from Europe
into North America
, where it has caused severe mortality in the American native white pines in many areas, notably the closely related Whitebark Pine
. Swiss Pine is of great value for research into hybridisation to develop rust resistance in these species.
s and large garden
s, giving steady though not fast growth on a wide range of sites where the climate
is cold. It is very tolerant of severe winter cold, hardy down to at least -50 °C, and also of wind exposure. The seeds are also harvested and sold as pine nut
s and can be used to deliciously flavor schnapps (see Ref. 2).
The wood is the most used for carvings in Val Gardena since the 17th century.
The cone of the Swiss Pine was the field sign
of the Roman legion
stationed in Rhaetia in 15 BC, and hence it is used as the heraldic charge
(known as Zirbelnuss in German) in the coat of arms of the city of Augsburg
, the site of the Roman fort Augusta Vindelicorum.
It is also a species that is often used in bonsai.
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:...
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...
that occurs in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
and Carpathian Mountains
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
of central Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
(Tatra Mountains
Tatra Mountains
The Tatra Mountains, Tatras or Tatra , are a mountain range which forms a natural border between Slovakia and Poland, and are the highest mountain range in the Carpathian Mountains...
), Switzerland
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. It typically grows at 1200 metres (3,937 ft) to 2300 metres (7,545.9 ft) altitude. It often reaches the alpine tree line in this area. The mature size is typically between 25 metres (82 ft) and 35 metres (114.8 ft) in height, and the trunk diameter can be up to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) .
It is a member of the white pine
Pinus classification
There are three main subgenera of Pinus, the subgenus Strobus , the subgenus Ducampopinus , and the subgenus Pinus...
group, Pinus subgenus Strobus, and like all members of that group, 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....
('needles') are in fascicles (bundles) of five, with a deciduous sheath. The needle-like leaves are 5 centimetres (2 in) to 9 centimetres (3.5 in) 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...
, which contain the seeds (or nuts), of the Swiss Pine are 4 centimetres (1.6 in) to 8 centimetres (3.1 in) long. The 8 millimetre (0.31496062992126 in) to 12 millimetre (0.47244094488189 in) long 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 have only a vestigial wing and are dispersed by Spotted Nutcracker
Spotted Nutcracker
The Spotted Nutcracker, Eurasian Nutcracker, or just Nutcracker, is a passerine bird slightly larger than the Eurasian Jay. It has a much larger bill and a slimmer looking head without any crest. The feathering over its body is predominantly a chocolate brown with distinct white spots and streaks...
s.
The very similar Siberian Pine
Siberian Pine
The Siberian Pine, Pinus sibirica, in the family Pinaceae is a species of pine tree that occurs in Siberia from 58°E in the Ural Mountains east to 126°E in the Stanovoy Range in southern Sakha Republic, and from Igarka at 68°N in the lower Yenisei valley, south to 45°N in central...
(Pinus sibirica) is treated as a variety or subspecies of Swiss Pine by some botanists. It differs in having slightly larger cones, and needles with three resin
Resin
Resin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials...
canals instead of two as in the Swiss Pine.
Like other European and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n white pines, Swiss Pine is very resistant to White Pine Blister Rust (Cronartium ribicola). This fungal disease was accidentally introduced from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
into North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, where it has caused severe mortality in the American native white pines in many areas, notably the closely related Whitebark Pine
Whitebark Pine
Pinus albicaulis, known commonly as Whitebark Pine, Pitch Pine, Scrub Pine, and Creeping Pine occurs in the mountains of the Western United States and Canada, specifically the subalpine areas of the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the Pacific Coast Ranges, and the northern Rocky Mountains –...
. Swiss Pine is of great value for research into hybridisation to develop rust resistance in these species.
Uses
The Swiss Pine is a popular ornamental tree in parkPark
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s and large garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s, giving steady though not fast growth on a wide range of sites where the climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
is cold. It is very tolerant of severe winter cold, hardy down to at least -50 °C, and also of wind exposure. The seeds are also harvested and sold as pine nut
Pine nut
Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pines . About 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough to be worth harvesting; in other pines the seeds are also edible, but are too small to be of great value as a human food....
s and can be used to deliciously flavor schnapps (see Ref. 2).
The wood is the most used for carvings in Val Gardena since the 17th century.
The cone of the Swiss Pine was the field sign
Field sign
A field sign is an unofficial differencing mark worn on a combatant's clothing to show the difference between friend and foe or a combatant and a civilian.-Examples:...
of the Roman legion
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
stationed in Rhaetia in 15 BC, and hence it is used as the heraldic charge
Charge (heraldry)
In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
(known as Zirbelnuss in German) in the coat of arms of the city of Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, the site of the Roman fort Augusta Vindelicorum.
It is also a species that is often used in bonsai.