Pinus merkusii is treated here in the narrow sense, i.e. excluding populations in Indochina, which are assigned to Pinus latteri Mason.

Common Name: Merkus Pine

General Information

Pinus merkusii is an evergreen, coniferous tree with heavy, horizontal or ascending branches[]. Young trees have a pyramidal or conical crown form, whereas old trees have a flatter and spreading crown[]. It can grow up to 50 metres tall with occasional specimens to 70 metres[]. The straight and cylindrical bole can be free of branches for 15 - 25 metres, with an average diameter of 55cm, but with occasional specimens up to 140cm[].
An important timber tree and supplier of resin, especially in Indonesia where it is often planted. It is widely harvested from the wild and is also often grown in plantations[]. The tree also has a range of traditional medicinal uses.
Although the rate of decline past and present is unknown, continued exploitation of natural stands and deforestation in the Philippines and Indonesia are putting this species at risk. It is unknown to what extent natural stands are being replaced by pine plantations, if this occurs even with the same species it cannot substitute for natural pine forest. Subpopulations are severely fragmented and there is an ongoing decline due to deforestation and logging. The tree is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

The wood, sawdust and resins from various species of pine can cause dermatitis in sensitive people[].

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Indonesia (northern Sumater), Philippines.

Habitat

Forming more or less open pine woods or pine savannahs influenced by periodic grass fires; at elevations from 300 - 1,300 metres[]. A pioneer species, it inhabits a wide range of forest and savannah habitats[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	50.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Pinus merkusii is a plant of the moist tropics, where it is found at elevations from sea level up to 1,300 metres[]. It grows in areas where the mean annual rainfall is in the range 1,000 - 2,800mm, occasionally to 3,500mm, and the mean annual temperature is 21 - 28°c with a mean maximum temperature of the hottest month of 24 - 32°c and a mean minimum temperature of the coldest month of 18 - 24°c[]. Pines grow naturally in South-East Asia only in strongly seasonal environments[].
A strongly light-demanding species[]. Tolerant of a wide range of soils, including dry sandy soils, gravely soils, red tropical loams (latosols), clay soils, alluvial soils and acid ultisols on sandstone which are often poorly drained[, ]. It is often found on poor quality, acid soils[]. Prefers a pH in the range 4.5 - 5.5, tolerating 4 - 6.5[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[]. The plant is very wind tolerant[].
This is one of several Pinus species that have a juvenile life stage. After germinating, the seedlings produce secondary foliage but the central shoot does not elongate - at this stage the plant looks more like a bunchgrass than a pine. Especially when growing in shade, the plant can remain in this juvenile stage for several years, developing a large taproot but not increasing in height. If the light levels increase (due to removal of tree cover by fire, deforestation or some other reason) then the plant commences rapid height growth[].
Harvesting of the resin can start about 15 years after being planted out[]. Trees can yield 3 - 4 kilos of resin a year, with some reports claiming that older trees can yield up to 30 - 60 kilos of crude gum a year[]. Old trees can yield 30 - 60 kg of crude gum per year, producing 20 - 40 kg of pure resin and 7 - 14 kg of turpentine per year[].
In plantations, trees reach sexual maturity when about 20 years old. They bear cones every year, although seed production varies[].
In plantations, the first thinning is usually carried out in the 9th or 10th year, and about every 5 years thereafter. Rotation cycles of 30 years are needed for optimal timber production[]. For the production of pulpwood, a cutting cycle of 15 years is usually practised[].
Mycorrhizae are required for successful growth and to allow seedlings to survive in more adverse sites[].
The prolonged 'grass stage' often present in young trees means increased weeding requirements when compared to Pinus caribaea, Pinus oocarpa and Pinus kesiya[].
This is the southernmost occurring pine of all pines, and the only one whose natural distribution extends into the southern hemisphere[].
Merkus pines of the Asian mainland and the Philippines differ slightly from those of Sumatra: the seedlings have a 'grass stage', the needles are slightly longer, the cones are less cylindrical, and the seeds nearly twice as heavy[].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

The seeds of all Pinus species are more or less edible, and some are of good size and make very tasty and nutritious foods, often eaten in quantitiy. Others can be less desireable, either having a strongly resinous flavour, being bitter or, more commonly, rather too small and fiddly to make it very worthwhle even trying to eat them,
We have no specific information of the desireability of this species, though they are rather small (the size given includes the shell)[].
The seed is around 7mm long[].

A vanillin flavouring is obtained as a by-product of other resins that are released from the pulpwood[].

Medicinal

Oil of turpentine, obtained from the oleo-resin of all pine trees, is antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, diuretic, rubefacient, stimulant and vermifuge[, ]. It is a valuable remedy used internally in the treatment of kidney and bladder complaints and is used both internally and as a rub and steam bath in the treatment of rheumatic affections[]. It is also very beneficial to the respiratory system and so is useful in treating diseases of the mucous membranes and respiratory complaints such as coughs, colds, influenza and TB[].
Applied externally in the form of liniment plasters, poultices, herbal steam baths and inhalers, it is a very beneficial treatment for a variety of skin complaints, wounds, sores, burns, boils etc[].

Agroforestry Uses:

A pioneer species, its natural range is extended by colonization following disturbances such as fire[]. It grows, for instance, scattered in fire-prone grassland and woodland[]. The trees are increasing in number in recently disturbed areas[].
The tree is often used for the rehabilitation of degraded areas because of its tolerance to fire and poor soil conditions[].
The tree has been successfully intercropped with Irish potatoes[].
The tree is used to shade out alang-alang grass with fairly good results[].
The needles contain a substance called terpene, this is released when rain washes over the needles and it has a negative effect on the germination of some plants, including wheat[].

Other Uses

A tan or green dye is obtained from the needles[].

A good quality oleoresin is collected from this species, often on a plantation scale[]. The species is a high resin yielder and commercial tapping is often practised[]. The resin is obtained by tapping the trunk, or by destructive distillation of the wood, it can then be distilled to give turpentine and rosin[, , ].
Oil of Turpentine consists of an average of 20% of the oleo-resin[, ]. It has a wide range of uses including as a solvent for waxes etc, for thinning and dissolving varnish and paints, a shoe polish, medicinal etc[, ].
Rosin is used in paper glue and soap manufacturing, as a constituent of varnishes and paints, and for coating the bows of stringed musical instruments such as violins[, ].
Pitch can also be obtained from the resin and is used for waterproofing, as a wood preservative etc[].

The resin-rich wood is used as torches[].

The heartwood is yellowish to orange brown with dark red veins and numerous resin canals, darkening on exposure to light; it is clearly demarcated from the 2 - 5cm wide band of whitish to creamy white sapwood. The texture is moderately coarse; the grain straight; the surface lustrous when freshly cut but becoming dull with age; there is a resinous odour and a faint resinous taste. The wood is moderately heavy; soft to moderately hard; fairly durable and not easily rotting in the soil according to some reports[, ], but non-durable and liable to termite attack according to others[, ]. It seasons quickly with little risk of checking or distortion; once dry it is moderately stable in service. The wood saws easily and works to a good finish, though resins may clog cutters and tools. The timber is a general-purpose softwood, useful for light construction, joinery, window frames, door frames, flooring, furniture, matches, chop-sticks, paper pulp, long fibre pulp, pit props, transmission poles, ship- and boat construction, vehicle-building, containers, boxes[, , , , , ]. The wood from trees that have been regularly tapped for their oleoresin have a ood of lower quality. This wood is harvested for the pulp industry to manufacture paper, a process which allows a final extraction of the resin in the wood[].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed - no pre-treatment is required, although germination can be sped up by soaking the seed overnight in cold water prior to sowing[]. Seeds germinate in 8 - 21 days[]. A germination rate of 40 - 60% may be expected[]. After about 8 months, nursery bed grown seedlings are 20 - 25 cm tall and ready for planting into the field[].
Successful natural regeneration is only possible where a relatively large amount of sunlight reaches the ground[].
Only cones that have just changed their colour from green to brown should be collected and air dried[].
Pine seeds can usually be stored for several years, provided they are kept dry, cold and in an airtight container[]. However, seeds of this species are reported to have a rather short viability; seeds from Sumatra can be stored dry for only 1 - 2 years, and those from continental Asia for an even shorter period[].
Propagation by tissue culture is possible. Suspensor, root tissue and hypocotyl segments of 2-week-old seedlings of P. merkusii have been used, and they all readily yield callus when cultured on a Murashige and Skoog mineral formulation supplemented with naphthalene acetic acid (0.25-0.65 ppm) and benzylamino purine (1.0-2.0 ppm)[].

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