| General Description | P. merkusii is a hardy evergreen limited to a very small demographic, they are classified as vulnerable on the endangered ranking system. On the larger side of pines, the merkus has been recorded at heights of 65 m in rare cases. |
| ID Characteristic | One identifying factor of the merkusii is the change in texture and pattern in bark as you descend the tree down to the base. They are one of the few pines reaching over 40 m consistently and due to such a small native demographic, if it is observed outside of the mountains of central Asia, it is almost certainly not a P. merkusii. The fascicles appear in bunches of twos and the pine is a heavy gum producer. The bark is a tone of orange and red, thick and deeply fissured at the base of the trunk, and thinner and flaky towards the upper crown. |
| Shape | The broad upright branches form an open or rounded crown depending on age, time of year and overall health of the tree. The trunk will most likely not exceed 1 m at its peak age of maturity. Its been reported that some merkus pine`s crown begin at heights of up to 20 m. One notable characteristic of the merkus pine is its shear size, or height to precise, a trunk of 1 m is not crazy uncommon for a tree upwards of 30 m, but specimens recorded at heights of 65 m, are definitely worth examining. |
| Landscape | The merkus pine does not have many uses in the landscape scene for a few reasons; the native population is so reserved and hardy to a small demographic. Mountainous trees like to be cultivated on great elevations because they are genetically accustomed to the ambient weather conditions, whether they are going through natural reproduction or manned labour propagation, it does not mater. The next reason for its rarity in landscape applications: its size. Most people don’t feel comfortable with a tree 6 times the size of their house towering over their possessions every windstorm. The tree is most likely too large for residential parks and certainly too large for roadside plantings even in remote highway regions. |
| Propagation | The P. merkusii is capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction through dropping cones or manual cuttings. They can be germinated from seed after a vigorous process that usually takes 2-3 years in natural conditions, the seeds are not fertile from shed but require a period of warmth and high humidity to ripen then the seed is treated in a moist, cold environment to break dormancy. They can also be cultivated through cuttings or vegetative reproduction as the merkus pine is described as a ‘vigorous sprouter.’ The ideal time for rooting pine tree cuttings is from early to mid-autumn, or in midwinter. |
| Cultivation | Seeds generally germinate best in sandy or red soils. They can germinate in litter or under 1-2 cm of soil. Can be planted in full sunlight or shade but will die eventually in shade as it matures. They are very pH tolerant, can grow in moist aerated clay or peat soils in pH of 4.4-8.2. Pines require very little water to sustain themselves. Seeds are small, ovate, and slightly flat; bearing a thin wing 7 mm long. Seed body plus wing is 15 - 20 mm long. |
| Pests | The merkus faces most obstacles a regular pine would, they are susceptible to fungal and windburn when temperatures/conditions get out of control, and natural predators’ prey on weaken specimens just as they always have in nature. Pine bark beetles are the worst threat to its declining population than man-driven deforestation. It is important to inspect pines frequently for borer, amphid, and beetle activity as they can drive the tree to point of no return. |
| Notable Specimens | A specimen of a merkus pine would be one of great heights, they are not known for extravagant colour patterns or innate beauty. The freak of natures that emerge are the ones that see an extremely vigorous vegetative growth stage and excel past common parameters. Gum production is a characteristic of this pine and maybe excessive/over-production can be a positive trait some cultivators are looking for. |
| Habitat | The highest concentration of merkus pine trees lie in eastern/central Asia, recorded native in Indonesia, northwestern Thailand, Vietnam and northern Sumatra. One factor playing in keeping the pines in Malaysia, is the mountainous regions. The elevation provides the large conifers with proper conditions to thrive. They been observed at heights as low as 90 m above sea level all the way up to 2200 m. |
| Bark/Stem Description | The bark and branches are a shade of orange and red and deeply fissured when young, the tree matures into a scaly or flaky thinner bark over time. The branches are multi-nodal. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | No flowering occurs in the Pinaceae family. They are cone bearing trees and release seed when they are dropped from branch to soil. |
| Leaf Description | The fascicles appear in bunches of twos. The dark green needles measure 15-25 cm long and remain on the tree for about two years, foliar sheaths are persistent for the life of the foliar unit. Needles will turn black when frost burned by conditions. |
| Fruit Description | The Pinaceae family does not produce an ovary or fruit to protect seeds. Conifers produce pinecones as offspring. Seed cones are borne singly or in pairs with short peduncles. Single cones measure 4-10 cm long, with a round base. They are the colour green when young, ripening orange and maturing 2 years after pollination. Scales of the first year cone are spineless. Mature cones are cylindrical or long-ovate shaped, with peduncle about 1 cm long. |
| Colour Description | The bark of the tree has tones of both orange and red throughout its entire lifespan, the needles are a dark green in colour when healthy, black and brown when ill. |
| Texture Description | Bark is externally very rough near base of trunk containing thick fissures. As the vegetative growth occurs, new shoots form a softer flaky bark, trees are adapted to have thinner bark in regions where forest fires are not common(mountains). Needles can be smooth and very sharp. |