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The bristlecone pine's root system is mostly composed of highly branched, shallow roots, while a few large, branching roots provide structural support. The bristlecone pine is extremely drought tolerant due to its branched shallow root system, its waxy needles, and thick needle cuticles that aid in water retention. [8] Gnarled bristlecone pine wood
The cones are symmetrical ovoid, 4–6 cm (1 + 1 ⁄ 2 – 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 in) long by 2.5 cm (1 in) broad, and purple before maturity, ripening to nut-blue and opening to 4–5 cm (1 + 1 ⁄ 2 –2 in) broad, the scales without a prickle and almost stalkless. [2] The pine grows well in sandy soils and on soils which are too poor for white pine. [5]
Table Mountain pine typically has long, thick limbs on much of the trunk even in closed canopy stands. [7] Male cones are 1.5 centimetres (0.59 in) long. Female cones are sessile and range from 4.2 to 10 centimetres (1.7 to 3.9 in) long. [7] Cone scales are tough and armed with broad, upwardly curving spines. [6]
Jeffrey pine wood and ponderosa pine wood are sold together as yellow pine. [6] Both kinds of wood are hard (with a Janka hardness of 550 lbf (2,400 N)), but the western yellow pine wood is less dense than southern yellow pine wood (28 lb/cu ft (0.45 g/cm 3 ) versus 35 lb/cu ft (0.56 g/cm 3 ) for shortleaf pine).
The cones take from four months to three years to reach maturity, and vary in size from 2 to 600 millimetres (1 ⁄ 8 to 23 + 5 ⁄ 8 in) long. In Pinaceae, Araucariaceae, Sciadopityaceae and most Cupressaceae, the cones are woody, and when mature the scales usually spread open allowing the seeds to fall out and be dispersed by the wind.
Due to this deforestation and overharvesting, only about 3% of the original longleaf pine forest remains, and little new is planted. Longleaf pine is available, however, at many nurseries within its range; the southernmost known point of sale is in Lake Worth Beach, Florida. The yellow, resinous wood is used for lumber and pulp.
On the coast, the knobcone pine may hybridize with bishop pine (Pinus muricata), and Monterey pine (Pinus radiata). In the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada, knobcone pine is often a co-dominant with blue oak (Quercus douglasii). [7] The species is susceptible to fire, but this melts the cone resin, releasing seeds for regrowth. [4]
A dendrochronology, based on these trees and other bristlecone pine samples, extends back to about 9000 BC, albeit with a single gap of about 500 years. [20] [3] An older bristlecone pine was reportedly discovered by Tom Harlan in 2009, based on a sample core collected in 1957. According to Harlan, the tree was 5,062 years old and still living ...