Kuromatsu (Japanese black pine) - Pinus thunbergii; Japanese black pine

Japanese: クロマツ(黒松) - クロマツ（英語表記）Pinus thunbergii; Japanese black pine

An evergreen tall tree of the pine family, endemic to Japan. It is common in coastal areas. It can reach a height of 35m, and its bark is dark black with deep tortoiseshell-shaped cracks. Its dark green leaves are harder than those of red pine, measuring 10-15cm long and 1.5mm wide, hence the nickname Omatsu (male pine). It is monoecious, and the male flowers grow in large numbers at the bottom of the new branches that grow every spring, and are oblong ellipses about 10mm long. The female flowers are egg-shaped and reddish purple, with 1-3 flowers at the top. It takes more than a year to mature after pollination. The fully ripe cones are 5-6cm long and 3-3.5cm in diameter. It is resistant to sea breezes and is planted as windbreaks and erosion control forests on the coast. Although the wood is not of high quality due to its high resin content, it is durable and is used for civil engineering materials. It is also popular as a garden tree and bonsai, and many cultivated varieties are known.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

マツ科の常緑高木で日本特産。海岸地帯に多い。樹高 35mに達し，樹皮は暗黒色で亀甲状の深い割れ目ができる。濃緑色の葉はアカマツより硬く長さ 10～15cm，幅 1.5mm内外でオマツ (雄松) の別名はこれによる。雌雄同株で，雄花は毎春伸びる新枝の下部に多数生じ長さ 10mmあまりの長楕円体，雌花はその頂部に1～3個つき卵形で紅紫色。受粉してから成熟するまでに1年以上もかかる。完熟した球果は長さ5～6cm，直径3～3.5cm。潮風に強く海岸の防風林や砂防林として植えられる。材は樹脂が多く良材とはいえないが耐久力があるので土木用材などに用いられる。また庭園樹，盆栽として喜ばれ，多くの栽培品種が知られている。

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