Bristlecone Pine vs Polyphyllous Globe Thistle

Pinus longaeva compared with Echinops foliosus

Key Differences

• Bristlecone Pine is Least Concern while Polyphyllous Globe Thistle is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bristlecone Pine	Polyphyllous Globe Thistle
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Coniferophyta (Conifers)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Pinopsida (Conifers)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Pinales (Pines & Allies)	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)
Family	Pinaceae (Pine Family)	Tenrecidae
Genus	Pinus (Pines)	Echinops
Species	Pinus longaeva	Echinops foliosus

Conservation Status

Bristlecone Pine

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Polyphyllous Globe Thistle

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bristlecone Pine	Polyphyllous Globe Thistle
Diet	Autotroph	—
Average Lifespan	5000 years	—
Average Length	15.0 m	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bristlecone Pine

Habitat

Typically found in temperate and boreal forests, often at higher elevations.

Range

Found in United States.

Polyphyllous Globe Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Bristlecone Pine

The oldest known living individual tree on Earth, the Great Basin bristlecone pine can live over 5,000 years in the harsh, windswept subalpine environments of the White Mountains of California and the Great Basin region. Their extreme longevity is linked to slow metabolism, dense resinous wood resistant to decay and insects, and harsh high-altitude conditions that limit competition. Tree ring records from bristlecone pines have provided an invaluable climate proxy record extending back thousands of years.