Picea glehnii
Picea glehnii
The Glehn’s spruce or Sachalin spruce (Picea glehnii (F.Schmidt) Mast., 1880) is an arboreal species belonging to the Pinaceae family.
Systematics –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Pinophyta division,
Class Pinopsida,
Pinales Order,
Pinaceae family,
Genus Picea,
P. glehnii species.
The term is basionym:
– Abies glehnii F.Schmidt.
The term is synonymous:
– Pinus glehnii (F.Schmidt) Voss.
Etymology –
The term Picea, already used by the Latins, could, according to an etymological interpretation, derive from Pix picis = pitch, in reference to the abundant production of resin.
The specific epithet glehnii was assigned by Carl Friedrich Schmidt, the first botanical author to describe the species, in honor of the Russian botanist Peter von Glehn, who accompanied him during the expedition to East Asia in 1861.
Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Picea glehnii is a conifer native to the southern part of the island of Sakhalin, in Asian Russia, the island of Hokkaidō and the northern part of the island of Honshū, in Japan.
Its natural habitat is that of the island of Hokkaido and on Mount Hayachine of the Kitakami range in the northern part of Honshu (Iwate prefecture), as well as in the southern part of the Russian island of Sakhalin (along Aniva Bay, in the valley of Mereya River, near Bolshoye Vavaiskoye Lake and Busse Lagoon). The tree also grows in the southern Kuril Islands (Kunashir, Shikotan and southern Iturup).
In these areas it grows in the range from 0 to 1650 meters above sea level in low places and in cold and excessively wet soil on rocky subsoil.
It grows from sea level to the northern slopes of the mountain slopes, on rocky podzolic soils; it is also found on volcanic soils, rich in heavy metals. The reference climate is the cold and humid maritime one, with abundant annual rainfall reaching up to 1500 mm. In these areas it forms pure or mixed forests with conifers (Picea jezoensis, Abies sachalinensis) or, at lower altitudes, with deciduous trees (Ulmus japonica, Tilia maximowicziana and Acer pictum) and also Taxus cuspidata.
Description –
Picea glehnii is a conifer that grows up to 30 meters in height with a single straight trunk that can reach 60-70 cm in diameter.
The bark peels off when young; it is reddish-brown in color, then becoming gray-brown or gray-purple over the years, dividing into irregular plates.
The crown is pyramidal or conical and the branches of the first order are long and slender, developed horizontally, the lower ones more hanging. Those of the second order are dense and horizontal. The shoots are short, slender, solid, initially orange or reddish-brown, then purplish-brown, grooved and wrinkled, pubescent; the pulvini are 1 mm long.
It has needle-like leaves, more or less arranged in a comb, glaucous green or green on the upper page, whitish below, 1-1.2 cm long, linear, curved or almost straight, with a square-rhombic section, with obtuse tips; they have stomata on both sides (arranged in 1-2 lines on the upper one, in 3-4 lines on the lower one). The vegetative buds are ovoid or ovoid-conical, 4-6 mm long, slightly resinous; they have triangular, acute, red-brown pearls, with a long cusp and persistent for years.
The male cones are yellowish, axillary, 1-1,2 cm long.
The female cones are ovoid-oblong or cylindrical-oblong in shape; they are initially erect, then drooping when ripe, with often truncated tips, 3,5-8,5 cm long and 2,5-3,8 cm broad, initially green-purple or dark purple, then brown-purple with whitish bands . The macrosporophylls are obovate-oblong, thin but rigid, with a smooth and striated surface, almost 2 cm long. The bracts are rudimentary, ligulate, 1-2 mm long, totally included. The seeds, light brown or yellowish brown in colour, are ovoid and up to 3 mm long, with oblong-ovate winged part, 7-10 mm long.
Cultivation –
Picea glehnii is a conifer native to Russia – southern Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands; as well as Japan – Kuriles, Hokkaido and the northern islands of Honshu (Iwate Prefecture, Mt. Hayachine), where it grows from sea level up to about 1,650 meters of altitude. Its preferred climate is cold, humid, maritime thriving in poor, rocky and basic soils.
This plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.
It is a plant that likes abundant humidity at the roots, if grown in drier areas it must be provided with a moist and deep soil and tolerates poor peaty soils.
It also grows in moist, cold, shallow soils, but is not very wind tolerant in shallow soils; he also doesn’t like the shade.
From a pedological point of view, it prefers a pH between 4 and 6 but also grows on alkaline soils.
It is intolerant of air pollution and resists exposure to wind to some extent.
In some mountainous areas, especially on granite or other base-poor soils, growth rate and health have been severely impaired by acid rain-induced aluminum poisoning.
This species hybridizes with other species of the same genus.
Propagation is by both seed and cuttings.
In sowing, stratification will likely improve germination, so sow fresh seeds in the fall in a cold environment if possible. Stored seed should be sown as early as possible during the year in a cold environment and in a lightly shaded position.
The seeds must not be left to dry out and must be stored in a cool place.
The young seedlings should be placed in a greenhouse for their first winter. They can be planted out in the open field in early summer the following year or placed in an outdoor nursery for a year or so to increase size. They may need protection from spring frosts.
In the agamic propagation it is possible to take cuttings of semi-mature terminal shoots, 5 – 8 cm long, in the period of August in a shaded area. These must be protected from winter frost and take root in spring.
Cuttings of mature terminal shoots, 5 – 10 cm long, can also be prepared in the period of September / early autumn in a shaded area. It takes 12 months to root well.
Cuttings from soft to semi-mature wood can also be prepared, in early summer in a shaded area in a frame. Their taking root is slow but sure.
The trees should be planted in the open field when they are quite small, between 30 and 90 cm. Larger trees take root poorly and form a stunted and defective root system, having less resistance to wind.
Customs and Traditions –
In Japan, Picea glehnii is called アカエゾマツ, which means “spruce”.
This conifer has only local economic importance; its wood is used in construction. As an ornamental species, it is not very common, as it requires a cold climate, and remains confined to some North American and European botanical gardens.
This plant also has some edible uses.
Young male catkins are eaten raw or cooked and used as a flavouring.
Immature female cones are cooked. The core, when roasted, is sweet and syrupy.
The inner bark dried and ground into a powder is used as a thickener in soups etc. or added to cereals to make bread.
The raw seeds could also be consumed but they are too small to be processed and consumed conveniently.
In the medicinal field, a refreshing herbal tea, rich in vitamin C, can be obtained from the young tips of the shoots.
Among other uses, as mentioned, the wood which is very grainy is used for pianos, violins, building interiors, etc.
It is also appreciated for its use in the cellulose industry to make paper.
From an ecological point of view, this plant, despite being heavily exploited in the past on the island of Sachalin, is not threatened as the population of Hokkaido guarantees the conservation of the species; it is therefore classified as a minimum risk species (least concern in English in the IUCN Red List.
However, it is included in the Red Book of the Sakhalin region, it is also kept under protection in Japanese national parks, especially in the area of the island of Honshu.
Method of Preparation –
Picea glehnii is a plant which, above all in the past, was exploited for the production of wood.
It has some food uses as catkins and cones can be eaten.
From the dried and ground into powder inner bark a thickener is obtained for use in soups etc. or to add to cereals to make bread.
A refreshing herbal tea can be made from the young tips of the shoots.
Guido Bissanti
Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora of Italy, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.
Photo source:
– https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/242767721/original.jpeg
– https://files.plutof.ut.ee/public/large/B0/0E/B00E326FB9F39153905FD0D5A47BEBC1399654DDA43C0534648471EA2BFB43E2.jpg
Attention: The pharmaceutical applications and alimurgical uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not in any way represent a medical prescription; we therefore decline all responsibility for their use for curative, aesthetic or food purposes.