| explanatory text | Prince's pine, part of the Ericaceae family, is a plant which grows in temperate zones. It is short and looks like a weed, but it is actually a kind of tree. It grows in coniferous forests such as those in Europe, North America, and Sakhalin, and is characterized by its need for symbiosis with fungus for the germination of its seeds. In Japan, it is found in Hokkaido Prefecture, Aomori Prefecture, Iwate Prefecture, and in the southern boundary of Ibaraki Prefecture, Hitachinaka City and Tokai Village. In Ibaraki Prefecture, its population is decreasing due to pine wilt and development of its area of distribution, making it difficult for growing individuals to bloom, so it has been designated as an endangered species in the 2012 Ibaraki Red Data Book (Critically Endangered).
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