View source for Korean Pine

{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Korean Pine
| status = LR/lc
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Pinophyta]]
| classis = [[Pinophyta|Pinopsida]]
| ordo = [[Pinales]]
| familia = [[Pinaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Pine|Pinus]]''
| subgenus = ''[[Pinus classification|Strobus]]''
| species = '''''P. koraiensis'''''
| binomial = ''Pinus koraiensis''
| binomial_authority = [[Philipp Franz von Siebold|Siebold]] & [[Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini|Zucc.]]
}}

The '''Korean Pine''' ('''''[[Pinus]] koraiensis'''''; family [[Pinaceae]]) is a species of [[pine]] [[tree]] that occurs in eastern [[Asia]], in [[Manchuria]] in northeast [[China]], [[Primorsky Krai]] and [[Khabarovsk Krai]] in the far east of [[Russia]], [[Korea]] and central [[Japan]]. In the north of its range, it grows at moderate altitudes, typically 600-900 m, whereas further south, it is a [[mountain]] tree, growing at 2,000-2,600 m altitude in Japan. It is a large tree, reaching a mature size of 40-50 m height, and 1.5-2 m trunk diameter.

It is a member of the [[Pinus classification|white pine]] group, ''[[Pinus]]'' subgenus ''[[Pinus classification|Strobus]]'', and like all members of that group, the leaves ('needles') are in fascicles (bundles) of five, with a deciduous sheath. They are 7-13 cm long. Korean Pine [[conifer cone|cones]] are 8-17 cm long, green or purple before maturity, ripening brown about 18 months after pollination. The 14-18 mm long [[seed]]s have only a vestigial wing and are dispersed by [[Spotted Nutcracker]]s.

[[Image:KoreanPineSeeds.jpg|left|thumb|Korean Pine pine nuts - unshelled, and shell, above; shelled, below]]
Korean Pine differs from the closely related [[Siberian Pine]] in having larger cones with reflexed scale tips, and longer needles.

The seeds are extensively harvested and sold as [[pine nut]]s, particularly in northeastern China; it is the most widely traded pine nut in international commerce.

Korean Pine is a popular ornamental tree in [[park]]s and large [[garden]]s where the [[climate]] is cold, such as eastern [[Canada]] and the northeastern states of the [[USA]], giving steady though not fast growth on a wide range of sites. It is tolerant of severe winter cold, hardy down to at about -50°C. 

==References==
* {{IUCN2006|assessors=Conifer Specialist Group|year=1998|id=42373|title=Pinus koraiensis|downloaded=05 May 2006}}

==External link==
*[http://www.pinetum.org/cones/PNStrobus.htm ''Pinus koraiensis'' cone pic (scroll to bottom of page)]

[[Category:Pinaceae|Pine, Korean]]