Bristlecone Pine

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Video: Bristlecone Pine

Video: Bristlecone Pine
Video: Bristlecone Pine Tree Ranger Minute 2024, March
Bristlecone Pine
Bristlecone Pine
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Spinous pine (lat. Pinus aristata) - evergreen coniferous tree of the genus

Pine (Latin Pinus) from the family

Pine (lat. Pinaceae), Which is home to the subalpine mountainous areas of Colorado, United States of America. The bristlecone pine, along with the Colorado sequoias, is listed among the long-livers of the planet, second only to its relative, the Bristlecone pine (lat. Pinus longaeva). A slow-growing tree is perfect for decorating a small garden in areas with a cold climate, because the Spineless Pine is able to withstand frosts down to minus forty degrees Celsius.

What's in your name

The generic Latin name "Pinus" may have been assigned by botanists to plants for two equal reasons: for the resinous secretions of trees, or for the love of pines to live on steep rocky slopes, which can be found in more detail in the article "Pine".

The specific epithet "aristata" or "spinous" Pine has earned the appearance of its cones, the scales of which are equipped with awns by nature, clearly visible in the photo below:

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The bristlecone pine was first described in 1862 by the American botanist of German origin Georg Engelmann (02.02.1809 - 04.02.1884).

In addition to its scientific name, the people call it "Chanterelle", "Bristle", "Hickory Pine".

Description

The bristlecone pine, often located at mountain heights, reaching elevations above sea level up to three thousand seven hundred meters, does not differ in great height, stretching towards Heaven in the range from five to fifteen meters. In this case, the diameter of the trunk, measured at the height of the chest of a medium-sized man, can reach sizes from one to one and a half meters. Living at such heights, the Spineless Pine can withstand temperatures up to minus forty degrees Celsius.

The twisting trunk of the tree, tapering strongly towards the top, is covered with a thin bark, colored from gray to reddish-brown, which in older trees begins to peel off at the base of the tree. The crown of the tree can be rounded or pyramidal. Young twigs are pale red-brown, turning gray over the years. Young branches covered with evergreen needles look like long brushes used to wash bottles.

Needle-shaped leaves gather in a bunch of five pieces and adorn the branches for ten to seventeen years. The surface of the needles is dark blue-green, covered with drops of resin. Such a phenomenon cannot be seen in any other pine tree, and therefore people who are not versed, take the droplets of resin on the needles for the effect of harmful insects on the foliage. Drops of resin on the needles are clearly visible in the main photo of the article.

The shape of the seed cones, which ripen after two years, until the opening of the scales, has a spear-cylindrical shape, which, after opening the cones, takes a spear-ovoid, ovoid or cylindrical shape. The color of the cone scales is from purple to brown. The scales have a triangular base and an elongated outer edge, ending in a fragile thin spine (arista) with a length of four to ten millimeters. Under the scales, winged seeds are hidden until fully ripe, the color of which varies from gray-brown to almost black.

Usage

The bristlecone pine is a slow-growing tree with a spectacular appearance, which is suitable for decorating a small garden in areas with cold climates. After all, the tree calmly endures winter frosts when the thermometer mark drops to minus forty degrees Celsius. True, in a city where the temperature is always higher than high in the mountains, the life span of the Bristlecone decreases to a hundred-year limit, while in the wild, trees can live up to one and a half thousand years. The oldest tree among Bristlepines today is considered to be an individual found on Black Mountain in Colorado, whose age is determined at two thousand four hundred thirty-five (2435) years. Until recently, this tree was considered the leader of the old-timers, until people discovered the Bristlecone Pine, which set a new record for longevity, equal to five thousand years.

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