Maritime Pine
Pinus pinaster Sol ex Aiton

Order - Coniferales

Family - Pinaceae

Names:

Pinus

Pinaster

Maritime Pine

Other Names:

Cluster Pine

Summary:

An evergreen, resinous tree to 40 metres tall, with spirally arranged branches and paired needle like leaves. Male cones are on the side and female cones on the ends of shoots.

Description:

Cotyledons:

Several.

Leaves:

Long shoots with scale like leaves and short shoots arising from the axils of the scales and bearing paired, needle like leaves that are spirally arranged. Complete shoots fall at maturity. Buds spindle shaped and pointed.

Blade - Needle like, green to dark green, stout, rigid, 50-300 mm long by 2 mm diameter, surrounded by sheathing scales at the base.

Stems:

Reddish brown, up to 40 metres tall, resinous. Bark rough and becoming deeply ridged. Young shoots yellow brown.

Winter buds 18-25 mm long, not resinous, with fringed and recurved scales.

Sapwood is non porous.

Flower head:

Male and female cones with spirally arranged scales. Male cones on the side, scales each with 2 spore bodies(sporangia) on the lower surface. Female cones, egg shaped to conic, stalkless on the ends, in groups of 1-3 and occasionally many, light brown, 80-250 mm long by 50-70 mm diameter, symmetrical except at the base, shiny, persistent and becoming woody with age and eventually opening to release the seed. Male cones replace short shoots at the base of the new years growth. Female cones replace long shoots and take 1-2 years to mature. Cone scale produce 2 seeds on the upper surface

Flowers:

Male and female flowers separate on the same plant.

Pollen wind borne

Fruit:

Seeds:

7-8 mm long with a wing up to 30 mm long.

Roots:

Key Characters:

Leaves in pairs, more than 150 mm long, dark green.

Young shoots yellowish brown.

Cones bright brown.

Winter buds 12-25 mm long.

Scales of winter buds recurved.

From E.M. Bennett and J.M. Black.

Biology:

Life cycle:

Perennial evergreen tree. It produces its first seeds when approximately 7 years old.

Physiology:

Reproduction:

By seed.

Flowering times:

Pollen shed in September to October in WA.

Seed Biology and Germination:

Vegetative Propagules:

None. Occasionally coppices.

Hybrids:

Population Dynamics and Dispersal:

Spread mainly by intentional planting of seedlings.

Seed spread by wind. Seed is retained in the canopy and has a medium longevity.

Origin and History:

Mediterranean.

Distribution:

ACT, NSW, SA, VIC, WA.

Habitats:

Climate:

Temperate. Mediterranean.

Soil:

Plant Associations:

Significance:

Beneficial:

Used for resins, timber production, shelter and wind breaks.

Detrimental:

Weed of plantations, roadsides and disturbed areas.

Toxicity:

Not recorded as toxic.

Legislation:

None.

Management and Control:

Maritime pine is included in the 5 most invasive Pinus species and volunteers around plantations may require control.

Thresholds:

Eradication strategies:

Herbicide resistance:

Biological Control:

Related plants:

Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis)

Canary Island Pine (Pinus canariensis)

Caribbean Pine (Pinus caribaea)

Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda)

Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster)

Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata)

Patula Pine (Pinus patula)

Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa)

Stone Pine (Pinus pinea)

Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii)

Plants of similar appearance:

References:

Black, J.M. (1965). Flora of South Australia. (Government Printer, Adelaide, South Australia). P68.

Hussey, B.M.J., Keighery, G.J., Cousens, R.D., Dodd, J. and Lloyd, S.G. (1997). Western Weeds. A guide to the weeds of Western Australia. (Plant Protection Society of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia). P14-15. Photo.

Lazarides, M. and Hince, B. (1993). CSIRO handbook of economic plants of Australia. (CSIRO, Melbourne). #979.5.

Marchant et al (1987). Flora of the Perth Region. (Western Australian Herbarium, Department of Agriculture, Western Australia). P58.

Acknowledgments:

Collated by HerbiGuide. Phone 08 98444064 or www.herbiguide.com.au for more information.