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| Wheeler Peak, NV. Photo by Glenn and Martha Vargas. © 2004. California Academy of Sciences. |
Great Basin bristlecone pine,
Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine (P. aristata), and
foxtail pine (P. balfouriana)
share a common ancestor [111,142]. Taxa within the
bristlecone-foxtail pine complex (Pinus, subgenus Strobus, section
Parrya Mayr, subsection Balfourianae Englm.) are distinguished by growth
form, bark, and differences in chemical composition
[9,30,98,105].
Bristlecone and foxtail pines readily produce fertile hybrids in the laboratory
[122,142].
Disjunct distributions, and possibly other factors, prevent natural hybridization among the
3 species. Great Basin bristlecone and southern foxtail pine (P. b. ssp. austrina) populations seem
geographically close enough for
limited pollen dispersal
(see General Distribution); yet to
date (2004), Great Basin bristlecone ×
southern foxtail pine hybrids have not been found in the field
[9,86].
LIFE FORM:
Tree
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS:
No special status
OTHER STATUS:
The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) places Great Basin bristlecone pine on their watch list (CNPS
List 4) as a plant of limited distribution in California
[113]. The World Conservation Union's Species Survival Commission (IUCB-SSC) lists
Great Basin bristlecone pine
as vulnerable, with this classification needing updating [60].