bristlecone pine

noun

1. a pine, Pinus aristata, of the southwestern U.S., bearing short needles crowded into long, thick bundles and cones having scales tipped with a slender, curved spine.

bristlecone pine

/ ˈbrɪsəlˌkəʊn /

noun

1. a coniferous tree, Pinus aristata , of the western US, bearing cones with bristle-like prickles: one of the longest-lived trees, useful in radiocarbon dating

Word History and Origins

Origin of bristlecone pine¹

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95; bristle + cone

Example Sentences

Bristlecone Pine (Pinus aristata) owes its name to the sharp bristles on the tips of the cone scales.

From Project Gutenberg