The main pines at Pinsongqiu, Daliang County, Shunde in China were that of Pinus massoniana (马尾松) which are commonly known as the Chinese red pine, Masson’s pine or horsetail pine. They are a species native to Taiwan, central and southern China and Hong Kong plus northern Vietnam. In their natural environment they grow at low altitudes below 1,500 metres.
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- The bark is thick and greyish brown in colour and scaly plated at the base of the trunk whilst flaking higher with an orange-red thin bark plate
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- Evergreen species of tree reaching 25-45m in height in the wild. Broad rounded crown with long natural branches. Needles are dark green and in pairs (two) and 12-20cm long and 0.8-1mm wide with a persistent sheath. Newly formed needles are light green but mature into dark green.
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- Cones are ovoid and 4-7cm long and chestnut brown in colour. They open when mature in late winter and the seeds are winged. Cones take 18-20 months to mature and pollination is in mid spring.
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- Pinus massoniana commonly used for plantation forestry and Chinese rosin is obtained from the turpentine of this pine. Needles are used to give a special smoke flavour to a local black tea like Lapsang souchong while logs are used to make pulp in the paper industry.
One key feature on researching the Pinus massoniana was that of a potential concern in pine woods of this species with nematodes and there is currently a survey to explore the concerns and impacts on this species by nematodes and the wider impacts on importing and exporting plus inspections and quarantine on bonsai and potted plants.
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