Description: Tree to 20m; crown rounded; bark silvery-grey,especially noticelable on twigs and smaller branches becoming reddish and deeply fissured. Twigs hairless. Buds not resinous. Leaves in pairs. Cone 5-12 by 4cm, shining, brown; visible external face of cone scale convex. Seeds 7-8mm; wing about 20mm.

Poison: The wood, sawdust and resins from various species of pine can cause dermatitis in sensitive people.

Uses: A resin from the trunk is used for chewing and for flavouring wine. A vanillin flavouring is obtained as a by-product of other resins that are released from the pulpwood. A tan or green dye is obtained from the needles. The needles contain terpene, this is released when rain washes over the needles and it has a negative effect on the germination of some plants, including wheat. A fairly wind-tolerant tree, it can be used in shelterbelt plantings. 'Greek turpentine' is obtained from the stems. Oleo-resins are present in the tissues of all species of pines, but these are often not present in sufficient quantity to make their extraction economically worthwhile. The resins are obtained by tapping the trunk, or by destructive distillation of the wood. In general, trees from warmer areas of distribution give the higher yields. Turpentine consists of an average of 20% of the oleo-resin and is separated by distillation. Turpentine has a wide range of uses including as a solvent for waxes etc, for making varnish, medicinal etc. Rosin is the substance left after turpentine is removed. This is used by violinists on their bows and also in making sealing wax, varnish etc. Pitch can also be obtained from the resin and is used for waterproofing, as a wood preservative etc. Trees have an extensive root system and they are planted on sand dunes in order to stabilize them. Wood - of mediocre quality. Used for rough construction. A tannin is obtained from the bark.

Note: Aleppo Pine

Distribution: Albania,  Algeria,  Corsica,  Crete,  Croatia,  Cyprus,  France,  Gibraltar,  Greece,  Israel and The Palestinian Territories,