Pinus halepensis Mill.
Aleppo pine
Small or medium-sized tree to c. 15 m high (higher in cultivation), with crown of rather slender, widespreading, grey branches. Bark on mature trunks fissured, grey, reddish brown beneath. Shoots brownish grey or glaucous-grey, glabrous, remaining smooth for some years. Buds conic, not resinous; scales dark reddish brown, reflexed, with white-fimbriate margins. Lvs 2 per fascicle, (2)-4-12-(17) cm × c. 1 mm (to 19 cm long in cultivation), rather flexible, greyish green; resin canals marginal or submarginal; sheaths short in mature lvs. ♂ strobili 5-8 mm long, broadly cylindric to subglobose. Conelets stalked; scales obtuse or rounded. Cone stalks mostly 1-3 cm long, stout, recurved. Mature cones long-persistent and remaining closed for several years, 6.5-11 × 3.5-4.5 cm when closed, conic or ovoid-conic, ± symmetric, brown; apophyses flat or with convex umbonal area, keeled; umbo not armed. Seed wing 1.5-3 cm long, large, broad.
N.: N. Auckland, from Mangonui S. and in and around Auckland; S.: Diamond Harbour (Banks Peninsula).
E. Mediterranean 1925
Locally common, especially on open, sunny, coastal slopes.
Aleppo pine has been planted in many places in N.Z. from N. Auckland southwards, particularly in public parks, domains, and cemeteries. Despite its variability in this country, the cones on their stout recurved stalks readily distinguish this sp. The male strobili are sometimes crimson in Aleppo pine. Some of the N.Z. stock was introduced from the Gallipoli area of Turkey after the 1914-1918 war.
