Editing Pinus sylvestris (section)

== Description ==
[[File:Pinus sylvestris young female cone - Keila.jpg|thumb|upright|Young female cone]]
[[File:Pinar Sierra de Guadarrama 2005-09-13.JPG|thumb|''Pinus sylvestris'' forest in [[Sierra de Guadarrama]], central [[Spain]]]]

''Pinus sylvestris'' is an [[evergreen]] [[conifer]]ous tree growing up to {{Convert|35|m|abbr=off}} in height<ref name=Rushforth>{{cite book |first=K. |last=Rushforth |trans-title=Pocket Guide to Trees |title=Bäume |language=de |location=Bern |publisher=Hallwag AG |orig-year=1980 |year=1986 |edition=2nd |isbn=978-3-444-70130-6}}</ref> and {{Convert|1|m|abbr=on}} in trunk diameter when mature,<ref name=":2">{{cite book |url=http://www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/OIPC_BMP_ScotsPine_FINAL_Mar292017_D4.pdf |title=Scots Pine: Best Management Practices in Ontario |last1=Marinich |first1=A. |last2=Powell |first2=K. |date=2017 |publisher=Ontario Invasive Plant Council |place=Peterborough, Ontario}}</ref> exceptionally over {{convert|45|m|abbr=on}} tall and {{convert|1.7|m|ft|abbr=on|frac=2}} in trunk diameter on very productive sites. The tallest on record is a tree over 210 years old growing in [[Estonia]] which stands at {{convert|46.6|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite news |title=Eesti kõrgeim mänd osutus hiiglaseks ka ülejäänud maailmas |trans-title=Estonia's tallest pine turned out to be a giant in the rest of the world as well |url=http://novaator.err.ee/v/loodus/545979d6-9c4e-4658-8877-182d5a053618/video-eesti-korgeim-mand-osutus-hiiglaseks-ka-ulejaanud-maailmas |access-date=9 February 2016 |work=ERR Novaator |publisher=Eesti Rahvusringhääling |place=Tallinn |language=et |editor-last=Oidermaa |editor-first=J.-J. |date=9 February 2016}}</ref> The lifespan is normally 150–300 years, with the oldest recorded specimens in [[Lapland (Finland)|Lapland]], Northern [[Finland]] over 760 years.<ref name="farjon">{{cite book |last1=Farjon |first1=A. |title=Pines: Drawings and descriptions of the genus ''Pinus'' |date=2005 |publisher=Koninklijke Brill |location=Leiden |isbn=978-90-04-13916-9 |oclc=59279728 |ol=9084955M |edition=2nd |url=https://archive.org/details/pinesdrawingsdes0000farj/mode/2up |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name="gymno">{{Gymnosperm Database|family=Pinaceae|genus=Pinus|species=sylvestris}}</ref><ref name="tfl">{{cite web |last1=Featherstone |first1=A. W. |title=Species profile: Scots pine |url=http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/tfl.scpine.html |publisher=Trees for Life |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226131845/http://www.treesforlife.org.uk:80/tfl.scpine.html |archive-date=26 February 2014 |location=Forres |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="steven">{{cite book |last1=Steven |first1=H. M. |last2=Carlisle |first2=A. |title=The Native Pinewoods of Scotland |date=1959 |publisher=Oliver and Boyd |location=Edinburgh |url=https://archive.org/details/nativepinewoodso0000stev/mode/2up |oclc=1148550 |ol=6267106M}}</ref>

The [[Bark (botany)|bark]] is thick, flaky and orange-red when young to scaly and gray-brown in maturity, sometimes retaining the former on the upper portion.<ref name=":2" /><ref name="tfl" /><ref name="gymno" /> The habit of the mature tree is distinctive due to its long, bare and straight trunk topped by a rounded or flat-topped mass of foliage.<ref name="farjon" /><ref name="gymno" /><ref name="tfl" /><ref name="steven" />

The shoots are light brown, with a spirally arranged scale-like pattern. On mature trees the [[leaves]] ('needles') are a glaucous blue-green, often darker green to dark yellow-green in winter, {{convert|2.5|–|5|cm|frac=8|abbr=off}} long and {{convert|1|–|2|mm|frac=32}} broad, produced in [[Fascicle (botany)|fascicles]] of two with a persistent gray {{convert|5|–|10|mm|in|frac=8|abbr=on}} basal sheath. On vigorous young trees the leaves can be twice as long, and occasionally occur in fascicles of three or four on the tips of strong shoots. Leaf persistence varies from two to four years in warmer climates, and up to nine years in subarctic regions. Seedlings up to one year old bear juvenile leaves; these are single (not in pairs), {{convert|2|–|3|cm|in|frac=4|abbr=on}} long, flattened, with a serrated margin.<ref name=farjon /><ref name=tfl /><ref name=steven />

[[File:Pinus sylvestris MHNT.BOT.2005.0.971.jpg|thumb|Mature open cones and seeds]]
[[File:Rötter - Ystad-2020.jpg|thumb|Roots of an old pine in [[Ystad]], Sweden]]

The [[Conifer cone|seed cones]] are red at pollination, then pale brown, globose and {{convert|4|–|8|mm|in|frac=32|abbr=on}} in diameter in their first year, expanding to full size in their second year, pointed ovoid-conic, green, then gray-green to yellow-brown at maturity, {{convert|3|-|7.5|cm|in|frac=8|abbr=on}} long. The cone scales have a flat to pyramidal [[apophysis (botany)|apophysis]] (the external part of the cone scale), with a small prickle on the [[umbo (botany)|umbo]] (central boss or protuberance). The [[seed]]s are blackish, {{convert|3|–|5|mm|in|frac=32|abbr=on}} in length with a pale brown {{convert|12|–|20|mm|in|frac=16|abbr=on}} wing and are released when the cones open in spring 22–24 months after pollination. The pollen cones are yellow, occasionally pink, {{convert|8|–|12|mm|in|frac=32|abbr=on}} long; [[pollen]] release is in mid to late spring.<ref name=farjon /><ref name=tfl />