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|species=bracteata
|species=bracteata
|common_name=Bristlecone Fir, Santa Lucia Fir
|common_name=Bristlecone Fir, Santa Lucia Fir
|name_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|habit=tree
|habit=tree
|Min ht box=20
|habit_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|Min ht metric=m
|Max ht box=80
|Max ht box=35
|Max ht metric=ft
|Max ht metric=m
|height_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|Max wd box=6
|Max wd box=20
|Max wd metric=m
|Max wd metric=ft
|width_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|origin=California
|origin=California
|lifespan=perennial
|lifespan=perennial
|life_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|exposure=sun
|exposure=sun
|sun_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|features=evergreen, foliage
|features=evergreen, foliage
|Temp Metric=°F
|Temp Metric=°F
|min_zone=7
|min_zone=7
|max_zone=8
|usda_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|jumpin=If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!
|max_zone=10
|image=Abies bracteata 1.jpg
|image=Abies bracteata 1.jpg
|image_width=180
|image_width=180
The '''Bristlecone Fir''' or '''Santa Lucia Fir''' (''Abies bracteata'') is a rare [[fir]], confined to slopes and the bottoms of rocky canyons in the [[Santa Lucia Mountains]] on the central coast of [[California]], [[USA]].
The '''Bristlecone Fir''' or '''Santa Lucia Fir''' (''Abies bracteata'') is a rare [[fir]], confined to slopes and the bottoms of rocky canyons in the [[Santa Lucia Mountains]] on the central coast of [[California]], [[USA]].
It is a [[tree]] 20-35 m tall, with a slender, spire-like form. The [[bark]] is reddish-brown with wrinkles, lines and [[resin]] vesicles ('blisters'). The branches are downswept. The needle-like [[leaf|leaves]] are arranged spirally on the shoot, but twisted at the base to spread either side of the shoot in two moderately forward-pointing ranks with a 'v' gap above the shoot; hard and stiff with a sharply pointed tip, 3.5-6 cm long and 2.5-3 mm broad, with two bright white [[stomata]]l bands on the underside. The [[conifer cone|cones]] are ovoid, 6-9 cm long (to 12 cm including the bracts), and differ from other firs in that the [[bract]]s end in very long, spreading, yellow-brown bristles 3-5 cm long; they disintegrate in autumn to release the winged [[seed]]s. The male ([[pollen]]) cones are 2 cm long, shedding pollen in spring.
It is a [[tree]] 20-35 m tall, with a slender, spire-like form. The [[bark]] is reddish-brown with wrinkles, lines and [[resin]] vesicles ('blisters'). The branches are downswept. The needle-like [[leaf|leaves]] are arranged spirally on the shoot, but twisted at the base to spread either side of the shoot in two moderately forward-pointing ranks with a 'v' gap above the shoot; hard and stiff with a sharply pointed tip, 3.5-6 cm long and 2.5-3 mm broad, with two bright white [[stomata]]l bands on the underside. The [[conifer cone|cones]] are ovoid, 6-9 cm long (to 12 cm including the bracts), and differ from other firs in that the [[bract]]s end in very long, spreading, yellow-brown bristles 3-5 cm long; they disintegrate in autumn to release the winged [[seed]]s. The male ([[pollen]]) cones are 2 cm long, shedding pollen in spring.
A popular ornamental, it can be seen in many arboreta (Gymnosperm Database).
A popular ornamental, it can be seen in many arboreta (Gymnosperm Database).
