Black pine, Austrian pine, Corsican pine,
Two very similar subspecies common in the British Isles; Austrian pine (P. nigra subsp. nigra) and Corsican pine (P. nigra subsp. laricio).
Corsican pine Needles in fascicles of two, 12-18cm long, relatively flexible, grey-green with fine lines of white stomata (x10 lens), well spaced on shoot. Crown columnar, lateral branches short. Cones egg-shaped, maturing second autumn, scale tips flat or with very small prickle/hook.
Austrian pine Needles in fascicles of two, 12-18cm long, relatively stiff, dark green with fine lines of white stomata (x10 lens), dense on shoot. Crown spreading, lateral branches long. Cones egg-shaped, maturing second autumn, scale tips with very small prickle/hook.
Corsian pine was introduced to the British Isles in 1759, and Austrian pine in 1835. They are currently regarded as subspecies of P. nigra; Corsian pine being typical of the western distribution and native to Corsica, Sicily, and Southern Italy, and Austrian pine of the eastern dsitribution, native to Austria, central Italy, former Yugoslavia, and Greece. Both are found as specimen trees in parks and large gardens, and in shelter belt planting. Corsican pine is still a major forestry species, particularly in areas like the Brecks of East Anglia. However, the species is no longer planted in forestry due to redband needle blight, a fungal pathogen that causes defoliation thereby slowing growth rates and sometimes death.