BRISTLECONE PINE

(species Pinus aristata), a small pine tree ranging from 5 to 13 m (15 to 40 feet) in height and belonging to the family Pinaceae. It is native to the Rocky Mountains of the United States, occurring usually at elevations above 2,300 m (7,500 feet). They have the longest life-span of any conifer known. A stand of bristlecone pine on Wheeler Peak in eastern Nevada is known to contain several trees over 3,000 years old, and one of them is thought to be about 4,900 years old.