Pinus roxburghii Sarg.
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Description
Pinus roxburghii is a large evergreen coniferous tree, usually 20–45 m tall, with a straight cylindrical trunk and a broad open crown. The trunk may reach more than 1 m in diameter in old trees. Bark is thick, reddish-brown to dark grey, deeply fissured into irregular plates with age. Young branches are slender and greenish-brown, becoming woody later. Leaves are needle-like (acicular), evergreen, and arranged in fascicles of three. Each needle is typically 20–35 cm long, slender, rigid, and slightly curved, making it one of the longest-leaved Himalayan pines. The needles arise from short shoots surrounded by a papery sheath. Leaves are dark green and persist for several years. The species is monoecious, producing separate male and female reproductive structures on the same tree. Male cones (pollen cones) are small, cylindrical, and occur in clusters on young shoots. They release abundant pollen during spring. Female cones are woody, ovoid-conical, and solitary or grouped, usually 8–20 cm long. Cones mature after two years and become brown at maturity. Each cone scale bears two winged seeds. Seeds are small, blackish-brown, and equipped with papery wings, enabling wind dispersal.
Diagnostic Characters
Distribution
Native range: Native to the western Himalayas.
In Pakistan: Distributed in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan. In Pakistan, it is one of the dominant forest trees of Murree Hills, Margalla Hills, Hazara region, Himalayan foothills.
Ethnobotany & Uses
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Where it grows on campus
Taxonomic Notes
Pinus roxburghii belongs to Pinaceae, the largest family of conifers.