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Scientific name: Pinus nigra subsp. laricio (Poir.) Maire 1928
Synonyms: Pinus altissima Carrière, Pinus austriaca var. pendula (hort. ex. Carrière) Zederb., Pinus calabrica Gordon, Pinus caramanica Bosc ex. Loudon, Pinus cebenensis Gordon, Pinus clusiana var. corsicana (Loudon) Franco, Pinus corsica var. pendula (hort. ex. Carrière) J.Nelson, Pinus corsicana Loudon, Pinus italica Herter, Pinus karamana Mast., Pinus laricio Poir., Pinus laricio subsp. calabrica (Loudon) Cesca & Peruzzi, Pinus laricio var. calabrica Loudon, Pinus laricio var. corsica Mouill., Pinus laricio var. corsicana Loudon, Pinus laricio var. magellensis Endl., Pinus laricio var. pendula hort. ex. Carrière, Pinus laricio var. poiretiana Antoine, Pinus nigra f. pendula (hort. ex. Carrière) Voss, Pinus nigra f. poiretiana Asch. & Graebn., Pinus nigra subsp. calabrica (Loudon) A.E.Murray, Pinus nigra var. calabrica (Loudon) C.K.Schneid., Pinus nigra var. corsicana (Loudon) Hyl., Pinus nigra var. maritima (Aiton) Melville, Pinus nigra var. pendula (hort. ex. Carrière) Voss, Pinus nigra var. poiretiana (Asch. & Graebn.) C.K.Schneid., Pinus poiretiana (Asch. & Graebn.) Arrigoni, Pinus sylvestris var. maritima Aiton
Common names: Corsican pine, Calabrian black pine (English), Laricio, Pin de Corse, Pin laricio de Calabre (French), Pino di Calabria, Pino di Corsica, Pino laricio (Iatalian)
Trees to 50 m tall, max. d.b.h. 1.89 m, monopodial but sometimes with multiple stems from a low basal trunk. Bark grey, with deep, longitudinal fissures and irregular, scaly plates. Branches spreading and ascending, sometimes heavy, forming broadly conical to domed crowns. Foliage branches stout, rough with pulvini from fallen leaf fascicles, glabrous, new shoots yellowish green, becoming light orange-brown to red-brown. Buds ovoid to oblong-conical, sharply acute, non-resinous or resinous, cataphylls brown, thin, with papery, grey fringes. Leaves in fascicles of 2, held by a persistent, 10-12 mm long basal sheath, remaining 2-3 years on branchlets, straight or more often curved, rigid or flexible, 8-15 cm long, sometimes twisted, 1.2-1.5 mm wide, light green. Margins minutely serrate, apex acute, stomata in fine lines on all faces. Pollen cones clustered near base of new shoots, spirally arranged, ovoid-conical to short cylindrical, 1.5-2.5 cm long, 0.5-0.7 mm wide, yellow. Seed cones solitary or in whorls of 2-5 on short peduncles, falling shortly after seed dispersal, ovoid-conical when closed, (3.5-)5-10(-12) cm long, 2-4 cm wide, opening to ovoid or slightly curved ovoid, usually light brown or pale grey-brown, rarely darker. Seed scales thin woody, rigid, narrowly oblong, apophyses slightly raised, transversely keeled, light yellowish brown, more or less lustrous, umbo dorsal, small, usually unarmed or with a minute, deciduous prickle. Seeds obovoid, slightly flattened, (4-)6-8 mm long, grey or mottled darker; wing obliquely oblong, 15-25 mm long, pale light brown.
Has a limited distribution in the Mediterranean: France (Corsica) and Italy (Apennines, Sicily); 950-1,800 m.
Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern
The extent of occurrence (EOO) is far beyond any threshold for a threatened category. The area of occupancy (AOO) in Corsica is an estimated 1,000 km² and the AOO in Calabria is about the same, added to this the other localities the total AOO also exceeds the thresholds. There is no evidence of decline, although undoubtedly stands have been logged and replaced by other land use or woodland types in the past. Several major stands are within protected areas, representing the three major locations Corsica, Calabria and Sicily.
The global population of this subspecies is naturally divided into disjunct subpopulations, of which the Corsican one is the best known and most extensive, forming stands across much of the central mountains of the island. Other major stands are in Calabria, southern Italy. Smaller subpopulations are in eastern Sicily (Mt. Etna) and scattered across mostly the southern half of the Apennines. In all, there are ca. 7-10 locations.
This subspecies grows in the mountains of Corsica and Sicily and also on the mainland in the Apennines, where it develops into a large tree especially in Corsica. No range wide threats have been identified although increasing frequency of fires could present a localized problem.
Corsican pine is an important timber tree, more so nowadays in plantation forestry than in its natural range. It is the subspecies of Pinus nigra that has most often been introduced, in European countries (especially the UK) and on other continents, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also widely planted as an ornamental tree in parks and on estates.
Several localities of this pine are situated within protected areas.
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