Pinus aristata
Pinus aristata | |
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Pinus aristata on Humphreys Peak, Arizona | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Gymnospermae |
Division: | Pinophyta |
Class: | Pinopsida |
Order: | Pinales |
Family: | Pinaceae |
Genus: | Pinus |
Subgenus: | P. subg. Strobus
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Section: | P. sect. Parrya
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Subsection: | P. subsect. Balfourianae
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Species: | P. aristata
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Binomial name | |
Pinus aristata | |
Pinus aristata, the Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine (or the Colorado bristlecone pine
Description
Pinus aristata is a medium-size
The cones open to 4–6 cm (1+1⁄2–2+1⁄2 in) broad when mature, releasing the
It differs most conspicuously from the two other bristlecone pine species in that the needles usually have only one resin canal (or rarely two), and these are commonly interrupted and broken, leading to highly characteristic small white resin flecks appearing on the needles. This character, which looks a bit like 'dandruff' on the needles, is diagnostic of Pinus aristata; no other pine shows it (though sometimes, scale insect infestations can look superficially similar).
It is a long-lived tree, though not attaining the longevity of Pinus longaeva. The oldest known tree, which grows high on Black Mountain in Colorado, was found to have a 2,435-year tree ring record (and overall estimated age of 2,480 years, per Craig Brunstein) in 1992.[5] However, trees rarely live over 1,500 years.
This species was previously described as a subspecies of Pinus balfouriana (Pinus balfouriana aristata). Pinus aristata is currently regarded as one of three closely related species known as bristlecone pines and is sometimes named Rocky Mountains bristlecone pine or Colorado bristlecone pine. In addition to its informal and regional names, the trees are referred to as the foxtail pine or hickory pine.
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Needles with typical resinflecks
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Cones
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Seedlings
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Pollen cones
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Plant
Cultivation
Pinus aristata is by far the most common of the bristlecone pines in cultivation, where it is a very attractive slow-growing small tree suitable for small gardens in cold climates. Even so, it is never as long-lived as in the wild, typically living less than 100 years before it succumbs to root decay in the warmer, moister conditions prevalent in most inhabited places.
References
- . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ Fryer, Janet L. (2004). "Pinus aristata". Fire Effects Information System. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
- ^ "Distribution of High Elevation White Pines".
- ^ "Pinus aristata (Bristlecone Pine, Colorado Bristlecone Pine, Hickory Pine, Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pine) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox".
- ISBN 978-1-4027-3875-3.
- Mahalovich, M.; Farjon, A. (2013). "Pinus aristata". . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
Further reading
- OCLC 3477527.