Siberian Dwarf Pine
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The Siberian Dwarf Pine (Pinus pumila) is a native to northeastern Asia, including the islands of Japan. This shrubby pine ranges from 1-3 m in height, exceptionally up to 5 m, but may have individual branches that extend farther along the ground in length.
The leaves are needle-like, formed in bundles of five and are 4-6 cm long. The cones are 2.5-4.5 cm long, with large nut-like seeds (pine nuts). The seeds are harvested and dispersed by the Spotted Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes).
It is also known as the Dwarf Siberian Pine and Japanese Stone Pine.
In the mountains of northern Japan, it sometimes hybridises with the related Japanese White Pine (Pinus parviflora); these hybrids (Pinus x hakkodensis) are larger than P. pumila, reaching 8-10 m tall on occasion.
References
- Conifer Specialist Group (1998). [Pinus pumila]. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
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