Pinus Longaeva (Noun)
Meaning
Small slow-growing pine of western United States similar to the bristlecone pine; chocolate brown bark in plates and short needles in bunches of 5; crown conic but becoming rough and twisted; oldest plant in the world growing to 5000 years in cold semidesert mountain tops.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- Pinus longaeva, also known as the Great Basin bristlecone pine, is one of the most ancient living organisms on Earth, with some specimens estimated to be over 5,000 years old.
- The rugged landscape of the White Mountains is home to numerous gnarled and twisted pinus longaeva, their trunks covered in chocolate brown bark that has been shaped by centuries of harsh weather.
- Botanists have been studying the unique characteristics of pinus longaeva, including its distinctive short needles that grow in bunches of 5, in an effort to better understand the secrets of its remarkable longevity.
- Pinus longaeva can be found growing in cold semidesert mountain tops, where the soil is poor and the climate is harsh, conditions that might be challenging for many other plant species.
- Conservation efforts are underway to protect the pinus longaeva, a species that is not only remarkable for its age but also for its ability to thrive in some of the most inhospitable environments in the western United States.