Siberian Pine

A vulnerable species in China. Plants named as Pinus hingganensis represent the E limits of P. sibirica; they are considerably disjunct from the main distribution center, and grow at lower elevations (800-1300 m), but are nevertheless indistinguishable from P. sibirica.

The timber is used for construction and furniture.

Trees to 35 m tall; trunk to 1.8 m d.b.h.; bark pale brown or gray-brown; branchlets yellow or brownish yellow, thick, densely pale yellow pubescent; winter buds red-brown, conical. Needles 5 per bundle, slightly curved, almost triangular in cross section, 6-11 cm × 0.5-1.7 mm, stiff, stomatal lines 3-5 along each abaxial surface, gray-white, vascular bundle 1, resin canals 3, median, base with sheath shed, margin serrulate. Seed cones erect, conical-ovoid, 5-8 × 3-5.5 cm, indehiscent or slightly dehiscent at maturity. Seed scales widely cuneate proximally, thickened distally; apophyses purple-brown, broadly rhombic or broadly triangular-semiorbicular, densely pilose; umbo yellow-brown, obvious. Seeds yellow-brown, obovoid, ca. 10 × 5-6 mm, slightly ridged, wingless. Pollination Apr, seed maturity Sep-Oct of 2nd year.

Heilongjiang (Tuqiang), Nei Mongol, Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Mongolia, E Russia]

Mountains, river basins; 800-2400 m.

Pinus cembra Linnaeus subsp. sibirica (Du Tour) Krylov; P. cembra var. sibirica (Du Tour) G. Don; P. hingganensis H. J. Zhang; P. sibirica var. hingganensis (H. J. Zhang) Silba.