Indigenous Pines of India

There are five indegeneous species of Pines in India:

Pinus roxburghii - Chir pine,
Pinus wallichiana - Blue pine
Pinus gerardiana - Chilgoza pine
Pinus kesiya - Khasi pine
Pinus merkussi - Teriasserian pine

Former 3 are native to the Himalayas, whereas later 2 are indegenous to Assam and Burma.

Parameters	*Pinus roxburghii*	*Pinus wallichiana*	*Pinus gerardiana*
Common names	India- Chir Pine, Chil Nepal - Dhup	Himalayan Blue Pine, Kail, Bhutan Pine	“Champion of the Rocky mountains”* Chiri / Galboza / Chilgoza / Jhalgoza
Altitude range	500-2000 m occasionally 2300 m	1800-3600 m	2000-3350 m
Distribution	North India, Bhutan,, Nepal, Pakistan, Southern part of Tibet and Sikkim,	India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, China,, Myanmar	India, Pakistan and Afghanistan
Number of needles per fascicles	3	5	3
IUCN Red Index	Least concern	Least concern	Near threatened
Major products	Oleoresin (Turpentine)	Turpentine - superior compared to P. roxburghii, Timber	Eatable Neoza nuts (high demand in the international market (2000-3000 Rs/kg)
Difficulty in Natural Regeneration	Pinus roxburghii is strong fire resistant plant, but it invites fire through its dry needles fallen on ground	-	Biotic interferences (Neoza nuts are edible)
Forest type	Sub-Tropical Pine forest (Group 9)	Himalayan Moist Temperate Forest (Group 12)	Himalayan Dry Temperate Forest (Group 13)

*Pinus gerardiana is also known as “Champion of the Rocky mountains'' - it can grow on inaccessible and difficult site conditions; commonly prevail in inner drier tracts of Western Himlayan region.