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Pinus longaeva D.K. Bailey

Bristlecone pine, intermountain bristlecone pine, great basin bristlecone pine

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionConiferophytaConifers—cone-bearing trees (and a few shrubs)
ClassPinopsidaGymnosperms such as cedars, Douglas-firs, cypresses, firs, junipers, kauri, larches, pines, hemlocks, redwoods, spruces, and yews
OrderPinalesCone-bearing plants: cedar, cypress, fir, juniper, larch, pine, redwood, spruce, yew, and others
FamilyPinaceaePine family: cedars, firs, hemlocks, larches, pines and spruces
GenusPinusLatin for “pine”
Specieslongaeva“Long-lived”

About plant names...

Most pines are comparatively long-lived, but bristlecones redefine the concept of old age. The oldest known living specimen, the "Methuselah" tree, is 4,842 years old as of 2010! The intermountain bristlecone pine is a native of the western United States.

Interested in the oldest trees? Check this Wired magazine article.

Identification: Trees are up to 52′ (16 m) tall. The crown is rounded or often irregular due to winds. Because of extreme age and harsh conditions, portions of each tree are usually dead. The bark is bright orange-yellow. Usually needles are in groups of 5 (sometimes 3 or 4). The deep yellow green needles curve upward, and they are unusually short: ½-1¼″ (1.5-3.5 cm) × 1/32″ (1 mm). Cones are 2-3½″ (6-9.5 cm) long, purple when young, becoming red-brown. Each seed has a sharp thin thorn.

For further information, see the Pinus comparison tables.

Online References:

The Gymnosperm Database

Wikipedia

Oceanlight.com, a natural history stock photography site by Phillip Colla

The Utah State University Cooperative Extension Forestry site

The USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

Blue Planet Biomes

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species

Wikimedia Commons

EFloras

References:

Sibley, David Allen, The Sibley Guide to Trees, Alfred A. Knopf, 2009, p. 11

Pinus longaeva (bristlecone pine, intermountain bristlecone pine, great basin bristlecone pine)

5/1/2007 · By Rhonda Tatiana Schorer ID is uncertain

Pinus longaeva (bristlecone pine, intermountain bristlecone pine, great basin bristlecone pine)

5/1/2007 · By Rhonda Tatiana Schorer ID is uncertain

Pinus longaeva (bristlecone pine, intermountain bristlecone pine, great basin bristlecone pine)

5/1/2007 · By Rhonda Tatiana Schorer ID is uncertain

Pinus longaeva (bristlecone pine, intermountain bristlecone pine, great basin bristlecone pine)

5/1/2007 · By Rhonda Tatiana Schorer ID is uncertain

Pinus aristata Engelm. var. longaeva (D.K. Bailey) Little

 

Pinus longaeva description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

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Pinus longaeva (bristlecone pine, intermountain bristlecone pine, great basin bristlecone pine)

5/1/2007 · By Rhonda Tatiana Schorer ID is uncertain

Pinus longaeva (bristlecone pine, intermountain bristlecone pine, great basin bristlecone pine)

5/1/2007 · By Rhonda Tatiana Schorer ID is uncertain

Pinus longaeva (bristlecone pine, intermountain bristlecone pine, great basin bristlecone pine)

5/1/2007 · By Rhonda Tatiana Schorer ID is uncertain

Pinus longaeva (bristlecone pine, intermountain bristlecone pine, great basin bristlecone pine)

5/1/2007 · By Rhonda Tatiana Schorer ID is uncertain

Pinus longaeva (bristlecone pine, intermountain bristlecone pine, great basin bristlecone pine)

5/1/2007 · By Rhonda Tatiana Schorer ID is uncertain

Pinus longaeva (bristlecone pine, intermountain bristlecone pine, great basin bristlecone pine)

5/1/2007 · By Rhonda Tatiana Schorer ID is uncertain

Range: Zones 5-10:

About this map...