stone pine

tree species
Also known as: Italian stone pine, Mediterranean stone pine, Pinus pinea, umbrella pine

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occurrence

  • stone pine
    In pine

    …including black, white, Himalayan, and stone pines, and some are planted in reforestation projects or for windbreaks. Pine-leaf oil, used medicinally, is a distillation product of the leaves; charcoal, lampblack, and fuel gases are distillation by-products.

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  • stone pine
    In pine: Major Eurasian pines

    Italian stone pines (or umbrella pines, P. pinea) are native to the Mediterranean region and have naturalized in many places. Their spreading rounded canopies of light green foliage, supported on a tall and often branchless trunk, form a particularly striking feature of the landscape of Italy.…

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  • Figure 1: Worldwide distribution of mountain lands.
    In mountain ecosystem: Flora

    The prostrate shrubs of the stone pine form dense, low thickets about one metre tall on ridges; they are mixed with deciduous shrubs of alder and service tree (Sorbus) in moister places. Other alpine communities occupy wet sites, where tall grassy meadows or bog communities often boast abundant tiny primroses…

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source of pine nuts

  • In pine nut

    …Mediterranean (or Italian) stone pine, Pinus pinea, are particularly prized for their pronounced nutty flavour. It can take up to 25 years for a pine tree to crop and seven years for the cones to mature sufficiently to release their seeds, which means that pine nuts can be expensive.

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pesto
stone pine
seed

pine nut, edible seed of a pine (genus Pinus).

Pine nuts, small, creamy, ivory-coloured seeds—sometimes known as pine kernels and also sold as pignoli, pinyons, or piñons—have been appreciated for their exquisite flavour since prehistoric times. The ancient Greeks and Romans knew and loved pine nuts; they are one of the foods archaeologists discovered in the ruins of Pompeii. Among some Indigenous peoples of California, annual gathering parties in the Sierra Nevada marked the traditional beginning of fall, and today harvesting pine nuts is a featured activity at national parks and public lands in the Mountain West.

Although all of the numerous varieties of pines around the world produce seeds, only some are edible. Of these, the seeds of the Mediterranean (or Italian) stone pine, Pinus pinea, are particularly prized for their pronounced nutty flavour. It can take up to 25 years for a pine tree to crop and seven years for the cones to mature sufficiently to release their seeds, which means that pine nuts can be expensive.

An essential ingredient in pesto, pine nuts are also paired with raisins and spinach in many Mediterranean cuisines. They are frequent additions to salads and vegetables and, combined with almond paste, figure in a favourite Italian cookie. They are high in healthful monounsaturated fats and rich in protein, which means that they tend to go rancid quickly; they are best stored in the refrigerator. Raw pine nuts have a soft, milky texture and a sweet, buttery flavour. Light toasting without fat releases a more prominent nutty flavour, inviting aroma, and crisp texture.

Liz Franklin
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Chatbot answers are created from Britannica articles using AI. This is a beta feature. AI answers may contain errors. Please verify important information in Britannica articles. About Britannica AI.