Thoris Pine
The Thoris Pine is a species of pine tree that occurs in the Thuvian and Solace Mountains of the International Democratic Union. It is a soft pine and not used in construction, however, the seeds from Thoris Pine cones are extremely nutrious for species native to the high mountains and are an important seasoning in Spice Melange.
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Appearance
It is a member of the white pine group, and like other soft pines, its leaves (needles) are in small bundles of five held together by a sheath. Mature needles are 20-30 cm long. Thoris Pine cones are only slightly shorter than the needles, measuring 15-20 cm long. The seeds from a mature cone can measure up to 25 mm.
The mature size of a Thoris Pine is up to 35-45 m height and 2 m trunk diameter. Larger trees are often found in locations protected from the wind, either by rock or smaller pines. However, since the pines are highly resistant to wind (via a flexible soft trunk), it is not uncommon for the trees to be one of the few species of trees in areas frequently prone to hurricane force winds.
Habitat
The Thoris Pine typically grows at high elevations (in excess of 1,500 to 2,500 m altitude) and is highly resistant to cold. Its strong root system are adept at anchoring the trees in hard, rugged terrain. They can be planted year around, as the trees slowly grow year round and will not go into shock when transplanted. The pines are one of the few species of trees that regularly define the tree lines in many mountain regions.
Native Habitat
Native to both the Thuvian and Solace Mountains, the trees were named after the Mikitivity Thoris canton, where they dominate the landscape. Their native habitat extends as far south as Sober Thought and far to the west into Grosseschnauzer.
List of Countries where Thoris Pines are a native species:
Non-Native Habitat
Thoris Pines have been planted in many other nations, either as part of large gardens or other landscaping projects.
List of Countries where significant numbers of Thoris Pine have been introduced:
Social Significance
Thoris Pine is a popular ornamental tree in many large parks, especially in locations subjected to extremely cold weather. Even in some coastal communities, the trees are sought after due to their ability to stand in high winds. In warmer climates the trees do better in damp, rocky soils, but are very resistant to many forms of fungus and dieases. Due to their high resistance to fungus and dieases, the trees are often an important point of genetic research into hybridisation and genetic modification. Unfortunately soft pine wood is not exceptionally useful in large construction, thus there is no major forestry export of Thoris Pine wood.
The seeds, pine nuts, from Thoris Pine cones are edible and harvested for human consumption in Mikitivity. Human consumption of the seeds dates back to the earliest settlements in the Solace mountains, over 2,000 years ago. Thoris pine nuts contain over 35 grams of protein per 100 grams of nuts, making the nuts one of the highest nutritional seed of any nut or seed. In addition to being an important source of fiber, the nuts were one of the key ingredients in Spice Melange. Due to the abundance of Thoris pine nuts in Thoris canton, the early spice trade brought Tnani up through Sober Thought and then into the Risden River Valley, where the Thoris pine nuts were blended with Tnani and other spices to form the Spice Melange.
Ecological Significance
In addition to their importance to humans, the pine nuts are a key source of food to many native and invasive species, including the Den Jay. The Den Jays are a key mechanism to the dispersal of the pine seeds.
Though Miervatian Burrowing Owls do not nest in trees, the extensive root systems of Thoris Pines help distrub many hard rocky soils enough to enable the owls to dig out their nests in areas where a tree once lived. The lower branches of the pine trees also provide excellent preches for hunting owls.
