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Scientific name: Pinus gerardiana N.Wallich ex D.Don 1832
Synonyms: Pinus aucklandii Lodd. ex Gordon, Pinus chilghoza Knight, Pinus gerardii J.Forbes, Pinus neosa Gouan ex W.H.Baxter
Common names: Chilgoza pine, Gerrard's pine, Himalayan nut pine (English), Chilgoza (Hindi)
Tree to 18(-25) m tall, with trunk to 1 m in diameter. Bark with multicolored scales flaking in irregular patches and becoming whiter with age. Crown dense, conical in youth, broadening and becoming rounded with age, with numerous long, sinuous, upwardly arched branches openly clothed with foliage near the tips. Twigs grayish green to yellowish green, hairless. Buds about 6-10 mm long, slightly resinous. Needles in bundles of three, each needle (5-)6-10(-12) cm long, stiff and straight, lasting 2(-3) years, dark green. Individual needles with limes of stomates on all three faces, an undivided midvein, and four to seven large resin canals scattered around the periphery next to the epidermis. Sheath 1-2 cm long, not shed until the second year. Pollen cones 7.5-15 mm long, yellowish brown. Seed cones (9-)15-20(-23) cm long, elongately egg-shaped, with 75-90 seed scales, green before maturity, ripening light reddish brown, opening widely to release the seeds and then falling, short-stalked. Seed scales paddle-shaped, the exposed portion markedly thickened with a variable length, prominent hooked projection curving down from the outer face and ending in a prickly umbo. Seed body like a giant, black grain of long-grained rice, very thin-shelled, 20-25 mm long, the readily detachable wing 4-5 mm longer and often remaining stuck to the seed scale.
The species name honors Captain Alexander Gerard (1792 - 1839), surveyor with the Bengal Native Infantry who encountered the tree during explorations in the Koonawur district in the Himalaya in 1821.
Western Himalaya, from southeastern Afghanistan to western Kashmir and eastern Himachal Pradesh (India). Mixed with other conifers and hardwoods to from open woodlands in dryish flat valleys within the mountains; (1,800-)2,000-3,000(-3,350) m.
Red List Category & Criteria: Near Threatened
Pinus gerardiana forests have declined and continue to decline throughout their extensive range. While there is insufficient range wide information to quantify this decline accurately, it is strongly suspected that it is approaching at least 30%. On this basis an assessment of Near Threatened is the most appropriate.
Pinus gerardiana grows in the mountains from about 2,000 m to 3,350 m above sea level. In the Himalayas this means that this pine is restricted to valley floors between very high mountain ranges, which isolate different populations to a certain extent. It prefers dry, sunny slopes where the vegetation is more or less open. In Afghanistan this pine is cultivated for its edible seeds. They are evidently dispersed by birds, as is the case with other wingless or nearly wingless pine seeds, but detailed studies to identify the bird(s) and the role they play in the survival of this pine have not yet been undertaken.
The main range wide threats are the conversion for pine forests for agricultural use, increasing the degree of fragmentation, and overgrazing that prevents natural regeneration. Over harvesting of seed cones contributes to poor regeneration. Overgrazing also impacts natural regeneration. Over exploitation for firewood is an additional problem.
The main economic use of this pine is of its edible, oil-rich seeds (neoza in Hindi), which are harvested by knocking the cones from the trees in autumn and early winter. In some areas, local mountain clans and villages own rights to the seeds and control the harvest, which is exported to markets on the plains of northern India. In traditional systems, sufficient cones are usually left on the tree to ensure that some seed is available for natural regeneration. Trees that do not produce enough cones any more are cut as firewood and new trees are planted from seeds to maintain stock. In other areas, harvesting rights are held by private contractors: in these areas all cones are collected. The wood is used locally for light construction and carpentry. This species is comparatively rare in horticultural cultivation (despite good hardiness) and mainly restricted to collections in arboreta. Its bark is reminiscent of that of the Lacebark pine (Pinus bungeana), but somewhat less decorative; the seeds of Pinus gerardiana are much larger and better for consumption.
In Afghanistan, plantations have been established to supply the seeds. In other parts of its range Pinus gerardiana forests are included within protected areas. However, these forests, and many of those outside of these areas, are still subject to degradation through overgazing, overexploitation for firewood and conversion to agricultural land. A combination of reafforestation programmes coupled with sustainable use strategies are needed before this species declines sufficiently to become eligible for a threatened category.
Pinus gerardiana ‘Khyber Pass’ Pinus gerardiana ‘Yogi’
Copyright © Aljos Farjon, James E. Eckenwalder, IUCN, Conifers Garden. All rights reserved.
