Pinus pinaster
Pinus pinaster
Safety & Hazards
The wood, sawdust and resins from various species of pine can cause dermatitis in sensitive people[ 222 Title A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Publication Author Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. Publisher Houghton Mifflin Co. Year 1990 ISBN 0395467225 Description A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties. ].
Botanical Description
Pinus pinaster is an evergreen tree with a broadly ovoid-conical crown when young, becoming irregular and denser with age; it usually grows up to 30 metres tall, occasionally reaching 40 metres. The bole is sometimes straight, but more commonly sinuous[ 329 Title The Gymnosperm Database Publication Author Website http://www.conifers.org/index.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A vast amount of information on conifers and families of gymnosperms. ]. An important timber tree as well as being Europe's major source of turpentine since the 16th century, the tree is commonly harvested from the wild and also extensively cultivated both within and outside its native range. It is also planted in order to stabilize dunes and provide shelter in coastal areas[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ]. In many parts of its European range, Pinus pinaster is on the increase. This is partly due to naturalization from extensive plantations within its natural range. Within its range in North Africa, many subpopulations are in decline and Pinus pinaster subsp. renoui has been assessed as Endangered. However, as the North African subpopulations constitute a relatively small proportion of the global population, the species as a whole is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ]. The tree has been planted on a forestry scale in many parts of the Mediterranean region and in other suitable climates. It is regarded as being highly invasive and in some regions it has become a serious problem. Prolific seed production, wind-dispersed seed and rapid growth rate all contribute to its ability to invade native habitats, which suffer a consequent reduction in species diversity. It is reported to be an aggressive colonizer in Chile, Uruguay, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa[ 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ].