Yes and no - and there are stands that are older than Bristlecones I
believe - not individuals but colonies of genetically identical
specimens. Thus you can claim the oldest tree and we can claim the
oldest genetic tree specimen so we can both be happy. It is a
podocarp rather than a true pine. They grow large and lovely but
incredibly slowly - it's not the climate so much as there are other
faster growing pines around them. They mature when several hundred
years old and live a couple of thousand normally but often much
longer. Because of the slow growth, the layers are very tight so the
wood is waterproof, rot proof, just about anything proof and smells
like heaven when milled - people buy bags of shavings for the scent.
It costs a bloody fortune now and every single tiny bit is recycled
dowwn to lumps turned up into eggcups for tourists. Some wonderful
boats were built with it before WW2 and, of course, are still in
excellent condition. It is so much in demand that they developed
special air powered chainsaws so that scuba divers could go down and
cut trees drowned by hydro-electric dams many years ago - they just
float up when 'felled'. The wood is smooth, yellow with faint brown
parallel lines from the growth layers and a regular small black
spotting. Wooden gold.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagarostrobos
This is the web site of a licensed Huon recovery contractor with some
interesting (rather than professional) photography of the operation.
http://www.huonpiner.com/gmenu.htm
Andrew Fildes
afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
On 15/09/2007, at 5:48 AM, Joel Wilcox wrote:
> They must be kin with the bristlecone pine. Tasmania is windy and
> cold?
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