Leaf: Acicular, short (1 to 1 1/2 inches long), curved, fascicles of 5, dark
green but usually covered with white dots of dried resin. Remain on tree for
10-17 years, giving a bushy appearance that resembles a fox’s tail.

Flower: Monoecious; male cones small, dark orange and often clustered near
the ends of branches; female cones occur singly or in pairs near the ends of
branches.

Fruit: Moderate sized woody cone (about 3 inches long) with a short stalk;
imbricate scales are thickened and tipped with a long bristle, giving rise to
its common name. Seeds are winged.

Twig: Orange-brown when young but darkening with age.

Bark: Young bark is thin, smooth, and gray-white later becoming furrowed and
reddish-brown. Old trees on harsh, windy sites may have only a few strands of
bark remaining in crevices where it is protected from sandblasting winds.

Form: Typically small and contorted by the wind and harsh growing conditions,
grows very slowly.