3 – 5 m high, prostrate shrub, often creeping trunks with protruding branches
bark is brown-grey, gradually turning into dark gray to black irregularly cracked bark
the root system is flat, spreading
Buds
The buds are oblong-ovoid, short-pointed, brown to reddish, strongly resinous
Shoots
initially greenish, later brown to dark gray (relatively thick), glabrous
Twigs and branches are flexible - adaptation to snow pressure
Leaves (assimilation organs)
needles are 20 - 80 x 1.5 - 2 mm large, dark green, shiny, bluntly pointed
grow two at a time on brachyblasts
are semicircular in cross-section, slightly sickle-shaped bent
they are densely grouped on the branches
last 6 - 9 years
Flowers
monoecious wood, flowers of different sexes (dioecious often occurs)
blooms VI – VII
male (♂) cones are up to 1.5 cm long, oblong ovoid, pedunculated, golden yellow, they grow in large numbers at the base of the shoot
female (♀) cones are spherical to broadly ovoid, up to 5 mm in size, dark red to purple, short pedunculated
they grow two or more at the top of this year's shoot
Fruits – seeds
the fruit is a cone 2 - 6 x 1.5 - 2 cm large, green before ripening, dark brown after ripening, shiny, very variable in shape
the lower part of the label is dented and the navel pushed in
ripens in the autumn of the second year and in the third year falls
the seed is up to 5 mm long, ovoid, variously colored – mostly black, but also brown, light, spotted
the membranous wing is yellow-brown, two to three times longer than the seed
germination is around 80%
the seedling is similar to a forest pine seedling (however, it has a green stem).
Extension
in the high mountains of Europe above the upper forest line, where it forms a wide belt of dense impassable stands
in Slovakia – Western Beskydy, Malá and Veľká Fatra, Spišská Magura
the center of distribution is in the Low and the High Tatras
grows from 1,550 m a.s.l. m. (upper limit of the forest) - up to 2,050 m above sea level. m. The lowest natural occurrence in Slovakia is recorded on the Muránská plain in Hrdzava dolina (approx. 600 m above sea level).
Ecology
It is one of Slovak humblest trees
It is not demanding on nutrients, resistant to extreme temperatures
It is demanding on precipitation and especially on light
It grows ± on all substrates
Significance
protected wood - less threatened species (LR)
soil protection, water management, anti-avalanche (prevents the formation of avalanches and soil erosion)
is of great importance in ornamental horticulture and the creation of greenery in cities in ornamental horticulture, hl. its shape (height) forms - the so-called "witches"
were removed from many places of their natural occurrence in the past by burning and felling in order to obtain pastures (this happened in all higher mountains of Slovakia Western Tatras, Belianske Tatras, Low Tatras, Little and Great Fatra, ...)
