| Pinus canariensis Canary Island pine | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Canary Island pines in Caldera de Taburiente,La Palma | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Pinaceae |
| Genus: | Pinus |
| Subgenus: | P. subg.Pinus |
| Section: | P.sect. Pinus |
| Subsection: | Pinus subsect.Pinaster |
| Species: | P. canariensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Pinus canariensis | |
Pinus canariensis, theCanary Island pine, is a species ofgymnosperm in theconifer familyPinaceae. It is a large,evergreen tree, native andendemic to the outerCanary Islands of the Atlantic Ocean.
Pinus canariensis is a largeevergreen tree, growing to 30–40 metres (98–131 feet) tall and 100–120 centimetres (39–47 inches)diameter at breast height,[3] exceptionally up to 56 m (184 ft) tall and 988 cm (389 in) girth (314 cm (124 in) diameter).[4] The green to yellow-greenleaves are needle-like, in bundles of three, 20–30 cm (8–12 in) long,[3] with finely toothed margins and often drooping. A characteristic of the species is the occurrence ofepicormic shoots with single (not in threes) glaucous (bluish-green) juvenile leaves growing from the lower trunk, but in its natural area this only occurs as a consequence of fire or other damage. Thecones are 10–18 cm (4–7 in) long, 5 cm (2 in) wide,[3] glossy chestnut-brown in colour and frequently remaining closed for several years (serotinous cones). Its closest relatives are thechir pine (P. roxburghii) from theHimalayas, the Mediterranean pinesP. pinea,P. halepensis,P. pinaster andP. brutia from the easternMediterranean.
Pinus canariensis was first described in 1825 byAugustin Pyramus de Candolle, who attributed the name toChristen Smith.[2][5] It has been placed insubsectionPinaster of subgenusPinus, sectionPinus. The other species in the subsection are mainly Mediterranean in distribution, with one species (P. roxburghii) from the Himalayas.[6]
The species is native andendemic to the outerCanary Islands (Gran Canaria,Tenerife,El Hierro andLa Palma).[3] It is a subtropical pine and does not tolerate low temperatures or hard frost, surviving temperatures down to about −6 to −10 °C (21 to 14 °F). Within its natural area, it grows under extremely variable rainfall regimes, from less than 300 millimetres (12 in) to several thousands, mostly due to differences in mist-capturing by the foliage. Under warm conditions, this is one of the mostdrought-tolerant pines, living even with less than 200 mm (8 in) of rainfall per year.
The native range has been somewhat reduced due to over-cutting so that only the islands of Tenerife, La Palma, and Gran Canaria still have large forests, with extensive replanting of deforested areas since 1940.[7]: 36 Really big trees are rare due to past over-cutting.[1] It is the tallest tree in the Canary Islands, with the tallest specimen, 'Pino de las Dos Pernadas' near Vilaflor on Tenerife, being 56.7 m tall.[8]
Fossils ofPinus canariensis have been described from thefossil flora of Kızılcahamam district in Turkey which is of earlyPliocene age.[9]Fossil cones including seeds ofPinus canariensis are known from thelate Miocene ofAbkhazia, from theVienna Basin and theCanary Islands. Numerous cone casts including seeds ofPinus canariensis from theearly Pleistocene, were recovered onKallithea, Rhodes.[10]
This pine is one of the mostfire-resistant conifers in the world, due to several beneficial adaptations.[11][12][13] In particular,Pinus canariensis is one of the few pine species that can epicormically resprout after losing its needles in a fire.[14]
The tree's long needles make a significant contribution to the islands' water supply, trapping large amounts of cloud droplets as fog drip. This comes from the moist air coming off the Atlantic with the prevailing north eastern wind (locally called "alisios" or "tiempo norte"); the fog drip measured under trees can be up to 20 times the rainfall measured in the open away from trees at the same site. The condensation after dropping to the ground is quickly absorbed by the soil, and percolates down to the underground aquifers.[7]: 21–23
The aromatic wood, especially theheartwood, is among the finest of pine woods, being hard, strong and durable.[15] The wood of the Canary island pine is now becoming popular as atonewood for soundboards for guitars and otherstring instruments. The aromatic heartwood (locally called "tea") is also traditionally used inLa Palma for making wine aging containers called pipas.[16]
Pinus canariensis is a popularornamental tree in warmer climates, such as in private gardens, public landscapes, and as street trees. In mainland Spain, South Africa, Sicily, Australia, and California, it has become anaturalised species from original landscape uses.
It is the vegetable symbol of the island ofLa Palma.[17]
_in_Presa_de_las_Ni%25C3%25B1as_02_(cropped).jpg)
_01_ies.jpg)
Authority control databases: National |
|---|
