Pinus sylvestris

Read about Pinus sylvestris in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Pinus sylvestris, Linn. Scotch or Scots Pine. Fig. 2967. Tree, to 70, or occasionally 120 ft., with spreading, often somewhat pendulous branches, pyramidal when young, with broad and round-topped often picturesque head in old age: branchlets dull grayish yellow: winter-buds oblong ovate, brown, resinous: lvs. rigid, acute, twisted, bluish green, 1 1/2 - 3 in. long: cones short-stalked, conic-oblong, grayish or reddish brown, 1 1/2 -2 1/2 in. long; apophysis little thickened, slightly keeled, only those near the base elongated; umbo small, obtuse; seed dark gray, 1/6 in. long. Eu. to W. and N. Asia. Gn. 36, p. 167; 38, p. 455; 49, p. 296. H.W. 1:4, pp. 121-6. F.E. 29:157. G.C. III. 34:298. F.S.R. 1, p. 16.—One of the most important timber trees of Eu. It is quite hardy, but has little to recommend it as an ornamental tree. Several geographical and garden forms have been distinguished. Var. argentea, Stev. Foliage light bluish green, with silvery hue. Var. aurea, Beissn., with the young lvs. golden yellow. F.E. 13:972 (pi. 14). Var. nivea, Schwerin. Lvs. a dirty greenish white. Var. Beissneriana, Schwerin. Lvs. green at first, changing to golden yellow in summer. Var. colum- naris compact;!, Bailly. Slow-growing, dense, columnar form. R.H. 1889, p. 393. Var. fastigiata, Carr. (var. pyramidalis, Hort.). Of pyramidal habit. Var. virgata, Casp. Sparingly branched form with long flagellate branches. H.W. 1, p. 126. Var. crispata, Schwerin. Lvs. curved in different directions, having a crisp appearance. Var. pendula, Beissn. With pendulous branches. Var. pumila, Beissn. Dwarf globose bush. Besides these varieties a number of geographical races have been distinguished which differ chiefly in habit, growth, and hardiness and are more of silvicultural than of horticultural interest. The best known are var. rigensis, Loud., with a straight tall St.; var. lapponica, Fries (P. lapponica, Mayr). A pyramidal form of slow growth: lvs. broader and shorter, remaining green on the Branches for 4-7 years: cones more yellowish. N. Eu. Var. engadinensis, Heer. A slow-growing pyramidal form with thick and rigid lvs. 1-1 1/2 in. long and grayish green. Tyrol. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

1. redirect Scots Pine