Pinus pinea
Specifications
Family
Pinaceae
Species
Pinus pinea L.
stone pine
italian stone pine
Description
The sapwood is yellowish and the heartwood is reddish-brown, very resinous, with a medium to coarse texture and a density of 0.45 to 0.87. Of poor durability, it is easily attacked by insects and fungi.
Plant morphology
Generally 12-20 m tall, it can reach 25 m. It has a characteristic shape with a large, spreading, globe-shaped crown that gradually becomes more umbrella-like. The bark is thick, reddish brown, and fissured into vertical plates. The needle-like leaves are flexible and leathery, grouped in pairs and 10-20 cm long (exceptionally 30 cm). The cones (or pine cones) are 8-15 cm long, ovoid, and large. After 36 months of maturation, they split open to release the 2 cm long, light brown seeds (pine nuts), which are covered in a shell. Dispersal is zoochorous, typically by birds.
Natural occurrence
Countries of origin and distribution
Circumediterranea; imported, and invasive, in Southern Africa.
Habitat and ecology
It grows primarily between sea level and 600 meters above sea level along the Mediterranean coast. It is part of the Mediterranean scrub tree layer, along with the holm oak and Aleppo pine, or in pure open forests at low altitudes. Its indigenous status is uncertain, and it is almost always derived from cultivation.
Uses
Use class
CU1
CU2
CU3
CU4
CU5
Application areas
It is used in sawn timber, packaging, wood wool, shredding material for panels, cellulose.
Technical data
Aesthetic characteristics
Grain
Obvious
Texture
Medium
Physical and mechanical properties
Density
ρ
ρ
610
kg/m3
Radial shrinkage
Rad. sh.
Rad. sh.
4
MPa
Tangential shrinkage
Tang. sh.
Tang. sh.
64
MPa
Bending strength
M.O.R.
M.O.R.
83
MPa
Modulus of Elasticity
M.O.E.
M.O.E.
13500
MPa
Durability characteristics
Fungal resistance
Moderatamente durabile, Not very durable
Insect resistance
Not resistant