Nepal nut pine
Pinus gerardiana
Family: Pinaceae
What it is like
A tree. It grows 15-25 m high. The bark is white and has irregular cracks. It forms into thin plates. The first year branches are pale yellow-green. There are 3 needles per bundle. They are triangle shaped in cross section. They are 6-10 cm long and stiff. The seed cones have short stalks. They are oval and 12-20 cm long by 9-11 cm wide. They are almost brown at maturity. The seed scales are 4-5 cm long. The seeds are long and round and about 2.5 cm across.
There are over 100 species of Pinus.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. In China it grows in the mountains at about 2700 m altitude in Xizang. In the Indian Himalayas it grows between 3,200-3,800 m above sea level. It grows on stony ground. It grows in dry low rainfall areas. Hobart Botanical Gardens. Arboretum Tasmania.
Countries/locations it is found in
Afghanistan, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, China, Himalayas, India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Tasmania, Tibet
How it is used for food
The seeds are valued as a dessert. They can be eaten raw or roasted. They are also ground and mixed with flour.
It provides a significant food for 13,000 indigenous people in Pakistan during a good nut harvest season. It has now become a cash business threatening seedling regrowth. The seeds are especially eaten by children.
Edible parts
Seeds, nut
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seeds.
The cones are plucked before they open and then heated to make the scales expand and get the seeds out. The seeds are stored for later use. A cone produces 50-100 seeds. A tree bears about 25 cones.
Its other names
Local names
Chalghoxa, Chidha, Chilgoja, Chilgoza Pine, Chiri, Chonge, Galgoja, Gerard's pine, Gunober, Miri Neoza, Noosa Pine, Prita, Shentah, Shut, Tholash, Xu mi bai pi song, Zanghozai