Editing Pinus peuce (section)

{{Short description|Species of plant}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Pinus peuce Maliovitsa.jpg
| image_caption = Trees in native environment, [[Malyovitsa]], [[Rila Mountains]], Bulgaria.
| status = NT
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Farjon, A. |date=2017 |title=''Pinus peuce'' |volume=2017 |page=e.T34193A95751594 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T34193A95751594.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| display_parents = 3
| genus = Pinus
| parent = Pinus subsect. Strobus
| species = peuce
| authority = [[August Grisebach|Griseb.]]<ref name=grisebach>Grisebach, A., (1844). Spicilegium florae rumelicae et bithynicae exhibens synopsin plantarum, Vol. 2. "Brunsvigae : Vieweg", p. 349, https://mdz-nbn-resolving.de/details:bsb10301664</ref>
| range_map = Pinus peuce range.svg
| range_map_caption = Distribution range of ''Pinus peuce''
}}

'''''Pinus peuce''''' ('''Macedonian pine'''<ref name=BSBI07>{{BSBI 2007 |access-date=2014-10-17 }}</ref> or '''Balkan pine'''<ref>Michael Dirr - Dirr's Hardy trees and shrubs: an illustrated encyclopedia, Timber Press, 1997, {{ISBN|9780881924046}}, page. 282</ref>) ([[Serbo-Croatian]] and [[Macedonian language|Macedonian]]: молика, molika; [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]]: бяла мура, byala mura) is a species of [[pine]] native to the mountains of [[North Macedonia]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Albania]], [[Montenegro]], [[Kosovo]], the extreme southwest of [[Serbia]], and the extreme north of [[Greece]],<ref name=farjon>Farjon, A. (2005). ''Pines. Drawings and descriptions of the genus Pinus'', ed.2. Brill, Leiden {{ISBN|90-04-13916-8}}.</ref><ref name=gymnosperm>Gymnosperm Database [http://www.conifers.org/pi/pin/peuce.htm ''Pinus peuce'']</ref><ref>Critchfield, W. B., & Little, E. L. (1966). Geographic distribution of the pines of the World. ''U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service Misc. Publ''. 991.</ref> growing typically at (600-) 1,000-2,200 (-2,300) m altitude. It often reaches the alpine [[tree line]] in this area. The mature size is up to 35–40 m height, and 1.5 m trunk diameter.<ref name=farjon/><ref name=gymnosperm/> However, the height of the tree diminishes strongly near the upper tree line and may even obtain shrub sizes.<ref name="alexandrov11">{{citation |author=Alexandrov, A. |author2=Andonovski, V. |name-list-style=amp|title=Macedonian pine - ''Pinus peuce'': Technical guidelines for genetic conservation and use |date=2011 |page=6 pp |url=http://www.euforgen.org/fileadmin//templates/euforgen.org/upload/Publications/Technical_guidelines/1508_Macedonian_pine_Pinus_peuce.pdf |publisher=[[European Forest Genetic Resources Programme]]}}</ref>

It is a member of the [[white pine]] group, ''[[Pinus]]'' subgenus ''[[Strobus]]'', and like all members of that group, the leaves ('needles') are in fascicles (bundles) of five, with a deciduous sheath. They are 6–11&nbsp;cm long.   Its pine cones are mostly 8–16&nbsp;cm long, occasionally up to 20&nbsp;cm long, green at first, becoming yellow-brown when mature, with broad, flat to downcurved scales. The 6–7&nbsp;mm long [[seed]]s have a 2&nbsp;cm wing and can be wind-dispersed, but are also very often dispersed by [[spotted nutcracker]]s.<ref name=farjon/><ref name=gymnosperm/>

The species was first described in scientific literature by [[August Grisebach]] in 1844, based on field observations of montane pines on [[Baba (North Macedonia)|Baba Mountain]], above [[Bitola]].<ref name=grisebach/>