Pinus densiflora

{{Short description|Species of conifer}} {{Speciesbox | image = Pinus syluestriformis (Takenouchi)T.Wang ex Cheng.JPG | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Farjon, A. |date=2013 |title=''Pinus densiflora'' |volume=2013 |article-number=e.T42355A2974820 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42355A2974820.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref> | genus = Pinus | display_parents = 3 | parent = Pinus subsect. Pinus | species = densiflora | authority = [[Philipp Franz von Siebold|Siebold]] & [[Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini|Zucc.]] | synonyms = {{Plainlist | style = margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em; | *''Pinus funebris'' Kom. *''Pinus japonica'' Forbes nom. illeg. *''Pinus scopifera'' Miq. }} | synonyms_ref = <ref>{{citation |url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2561880 |title=The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species |access-date=15 December 2015}}</ref> }}

'''''Pinus densiflora''''', also called the '''Japanese red pine''',<ref>{{PLANTS|id=PIDE5|taxon=Pinus densiflora|access-date=31 January 2016}}</ref> the '''Japanese pine''',<ref name=BSBI07>{{BSBI 2007 |access-date=17 October 2015 |df-dmy-all}}</ref> or '''Korean red pine''',<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://www.forest.go.kr/kna/special/download/English_Names_for_Korean_Native_Plants.pdf|title=English Names for Korean Native Plants|publisher=[[Korea National Arboretum]]|year=2015|isbn=978-89-97450-98-5|location=Pocheon|page=575|access-date=8 December 2016|via=[[Korea Forest Service]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525105020/http://www.forest.go.kr/kna/special/download/English_Names_for_Korean_Native_Plants.pdf|archive-date=25 May 2017}}</ref> is a species of pine tree native to [[East Asia]] and [[Siberia]].

==Distribution and habitat== ''P. densiflora'' has a home range that includes [[Japan]], the [[Korean Peninsula|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, {{Convert|8–12|cm|abbr=off|frac=2}} long, with two per fascicle. The short leaves are 5–6 cm. There are [[stoma]]tal lines on both sides of the leaf, two [[vascular bundle]]s, about three to nine [[resin canal]]s, 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 {{Convert|20–35|m|abbr=off}}. The crown can reach {{Convert|30|m|abbr=off}}.<ref name=赤松>{{ Cite web |url = https://www.iplant.cn/info/Pinus%20densiflora?t=z |title = 赤松(chì sōng) Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc. |publisher = www.iplant.cn |language = zh |access-date = 2023-02-08}}</ref><ref>{{ Cite web |url = http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200005331 |title = Pinus densiflora Siebold & Zuccarini |publisher = www.efloras.org |language = en |access-date = 2023-02-08}}</ref><ref name=赤松赤胆>{{ Cite web |url = http://www.forestry.gov.cn/main/5534/20221212/093147043964052.html |title = 赤松赤胆忠心松茸共生共荣 |author = 刘玉波 |date = 2022-12-12 |publisher = www.forestry.gov.cn |language = zh |access-date = 2023-02-08}}</ref>

"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".<ref name=赤松>{{ Cite web |url = https://www.iplant.cn/info/Pinus%20densiflora?t=z |title = 赤松(chì sōng) Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc. |publisher = www.iplant.cn |language = zh |access-date = 2023-02-08}}</ref>

The [[conifer cone|cones]] are {{Convert|4–7|cm|abbr=on|frac=2}} 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]].<ref name=赤松>{{ Cite web |url = https://www.iplant.cn/info/Pinus%20densiflora?t=z |title = 赤松(chì sōng) Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc. |publisher = www.iplant.cn |language = zh |access-date = 2023-02-08}}</ref><ref name=赤松赤胆>{{ Cite web |url = http://www.forestry.gov.cn/main/5534/20221212/093147043964052.html |title = 赤松赤胆忠心松茸共生共荣 |author = 刘玉波 |date = 2022-12-12 |publisher = www.forestry.gov.cn |language = zh |access-date = 2023-02-08}}</ref>

==Gallery== <gallery> Image:Matsu01.jpg|Planted in a Japanese park Image:Cultivated Aleppo Pine in Huntington.jpg|Cultivated Japanese Red Pine 'Pendula' in [[Huntington Library]]'s Japanese Garden Image:Japanese Red Pine (Japanese garden).JPG|Planted in [[Japanese garden]] Image:Pinus densiflora Umbraculifera.jpg|Var. "Umbraculifera' "Tanyosho pine" Image:Tanyosho pines NYBG jeh.jpg|Planted in [[New York Botanical Garden]] Image:CL-33 Pinus densiflora range map.png|Pinus densiflora range map </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== {{Commons}} *{{Cite journal|url= http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/19500600225.html;jsessionid=77671949CB72F05459224D89A6D0984E|last= J. E.|first= Aughanbaugh|year= 1950 |title=Japanese Red Pine_cabdirect|journal=Pennsylvania Forests and Waters| volume=2 | issue=1| pages=10–11, 18}}

[[Category:Pinus|densiflora]] [[Category:Plants described in 1842]] [[Category:Taxa named by Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini]] [[Category:Taxa named by Philipp Franz von Siebold]] [[Category:Trees of China]] [[Category:Trees of Japan]] [[Category:Trees of Korea]] [[Category:Trees of Russia]]