Kingdom Plantae
Divisions
I. Magnoliophyta = angiosperms
Following are gymnosperm (naked seed) divisions
II. Cycadales (Cycads)
[Grk. name for palm with cycad habid]
10 Genera
100 species
A. Pinnately compound, palm- or fern- like leaves
B. Dioecious
C. Seeds borne on modified leaves
1. clustered around stem
2. terminal compact cone
D. Ornamental
E. Subtropical - Tropical
III. Gnetales
3 Genera
70 species
A. variable characteristics among genera
B. xylem has vessels
C. Gnetum
1. tropical, most are lianas
2. pinnately veined opposite leaves
D. Ephedra
1. xerophyte
2. <1 cm leaves in whorls
3. usually dioecious
4. Alkaloid, ephedrine, from Asiatic species
used to contract blood vessels &
alleviate asthma
E. Welwitschia
1. xerophyte in small region of SW Africa
2. Only 2 big strap-like leaves (20 cm wide
& 2 meters long) with basal meristem
IV. Ginkgoales
Monotypic Ginkgoaceae Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo, Maidenhair Tree)
[Japanese name]
A. Fan shaped "maiden hair" leaves with dichotomous venation
B. Alternate
C. Estipulate
D. Long/short shoots
E. Dioecious
F. Yellow/orange fleshy seed coat smells bad when mature
butyric acid - rancid butter
G. Native to China, prevelant during Mesozoic (150 M YBP)
H. Sacred to Buddhists
I. Hardy city tree
V. Pinales (Conifers)
[Latin name]
6 Families (3 on campus)
50 Genera
550 species
Pinaceae (Pine Family)
9 Genera
200 species
I. Leaves
A. Persistent or Deciduous
B. Acicular (needle-like) or linear
C. Alternate
D. Single or in fasciles(extremely short shoots)
II. Female cones
A. Bract and ovuliferous scale distinct
B. Two inverted ovules/scale
III. Seeds
A. Wingless or with terminal wing
IV. Economic Importance
A. The most important lumber producing family in USA & world
B. Southern Pines utilized in wood distillation industry
methanol, turpentine, and navel stores
C. Important source of wood pulp
D. Christmas trees
E. Ornamentals
V. Range
A. Throughout N. hemisphere from Arctic to Tropics
Generic/species comparison
I. Pinus (Pine)
[Latin name]
100 species
A. Fascicles of 2 - 5 acicular persistent leaves
B. Ovuliferous bracts shorter than ovuliferous scales
C. Cones pendent, maturing in 2-3 seasons
D. 5 leaves/fascicle
1. Pinus strobus (eastern white pine)
E. 3 leaves/fascicle
1. Pinus ponderosa (ponderousa pine)
F. 2 leaves/fascicle
1. Blue-green or silver green, twisted leaves
a. P. sylvestris (Scots pine)
[�of the forest�]
2. Green leaves
a. < 7.5 cm long
P. mugo (Swiss mountain, mugo pine)
b. > 7.5 cm long
P. resinosa (Red Pine)
[resinous]
brittle leaves
P. nigra (Austrian Pine)
[black]
flexible leaves
II. Larix (Larch, Tamarack)
[Latin name]
10 species
A. Triangular or square acicular leaves borne
singly or in clusters on spur shoots
B. Deciduous
C. Larix decidua (European Larch)
[�deciduous�]
30-50 scales on upright 18-40 mm cone
D. Larix laricina (Tamarack, eastern larch)
[�like european larch�]
12-15 scales on upright 10-18 mm cone
III. Picea (Spruce)
[�pitch�]
35 species
A. Most with square linear persistent leaves with sharp
apices on peg-like projection
B. Picea abies (Norway spruce)
[�tall tree�]
1. Green leaves
2. Reddish brown pendulous branches
3. 10-16 cm pendent cones
C. P. pungens (Colorado, Blue spruce)
[�pungent� or �prickly�]
1. Glaucous green stiff leaves perpendicular to stem
with pungent taste
2. Yellowish gray prostrate branches
D. P. glauca (White spruce)
[glaucous]
1. Glaucous green more flexible leaves pointing toward
apex with fetid odor
2. Yellowish gray prostrate branches
IV. Tsuga (Hemlock)
[Japanese name]
10 species
A. Flattened, linear leaves with rounded apices with twisted
petioles on peg like projections
B. Pendent cones
C. Tsuga canadensis (Eastern, Canada Hemlock)
1. Leaf margins serrulate, 2 white stomatal lines
2. Two ranked leaves because of petioles
V. Pseudotsuga (Douglas-fir)
[false hemlock]
5 species
A. Flattened, linear leaves with rounded/acute apices and
very short petiole on slightly raised leaf cushions
B. Distinc odor when crushed
C. Pendent cones with 3 lobed bracts longer than rounded
ovuliferous scales
D. Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir)
[Archibald Menzies, naturalist]
1. Smooth twigs with resin blisters
VI. Abies (Fir)
[�tall tree�]
42 species
A. Most with flattened, linear leaves with rounded apices and
balsam or turpentine like odor when crushed
B. Ovuliferous bracts longer than ovuliferous scales, both
dehisce from cone axis
C. Abies concolor (White Fir)
1. Glaucous leaves
2. Stout, yellowish green to brownish green twigs
Cupressaceae (Redwood, Cypress Family)
[conical-shaped]
25-30 Genera
110-130 species
Includes former Cupressaceae and Taxodiaceae
I. Leaves
A. Linear, subulate, or scale
B. Alternate, opposite, or whorled
C. Persistent or deciduous
II. Female Cones
A. Bracts and scales partially or completely fused
B. 2-12 erect ovules/scale
C. Moneoecious or dioecious
D. Mature cones wood, leathery, or semifleshy
III. Seeds
A. Wingless or with 2,3 lateral wings
IV. Economic Importance
A. Poles & Posts
B. Shingles and Siding (resistent to warping & shrinking)
C. Chest, Wardrobes, & Closet Linings
(Color, fragrance, easily worked, repells moths)
D. Pencil Slats
E. Oils -> perfume, medicine
F. Tourism
1. Sequoia sempervirens (Coastal Redwood)
"tallest trees in the world"
370 ft. tall, 21 ft. diameter
1-3,000 yrs old
2. Sequoiadendron giganteum (Giant Sequoia)
"one of the fattest trees in the world"
250-280 ft. tall, 15-32 ft. diameter
1-3,500 yrs old
V. Range
A. Worldwide - both N. & S. hemispheres I. Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood)
[similar to sequoia-G]
A. Opposite linear 15-25 mm leaves on short shoots
B. Deciduous
C. Discovered 1948 " Living Fossil"
II. Taxodium (Baldcypress)
[yew-like]
1-2 species
A. Alternate linear 10-15 mm leaves on short shoots
B. Deciduous
C. Globose 2-2.5 cm female cones
D. triangular seeds with wings
E. Taxodium distichum
III. Thuja (Cedar, Arbor-vitae)
[Grk name, "resinous"]
5 species
A. Dull yellow-green opposite leaves
1. Facial leaves flattened
2. Lateral leaves scale like, flattened about midrib
B. Fan like foliage sprays
C. Elliptical 12 mm long cones with 8-12 thin woody scales
D. Seeds with two lateral wings
E. Fibrous reddish - grayish brown bark with thin furrows
F. Thuja occidentalis (Northern white cedar)
1. Horizontally oriented foliage sprays
2. Prominent glands on facial leaves
3. Ovuliferous scales lack hook on spines at apices
G. Thuja orientalis (Oriental arbor-vitae)
1. Vertically oriented foliage sprays
2. No or indistinct glands on facial leaves
3. Ovuliferous scales have hooked spines at apices
IV. Juniperus (Juniper)
[Latin name]
60 species
A. Dimorphic Leaves
1. Opposite, scale like
2. Ternate (whorls of three), Subulate (awl-like)
B. Fibrous reddish brown bark with thin furrows
C. Globose 6-15 mm fleshy fused "berry-like" bluish gray cone
D. Wingless seeds
E. Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar)
1. Small tree with dark green leaves
2. four sided branches
F. J. horizontalis (Creeping Juniper)
1. Shrub with long trailing branches
2. Various cultivars of different colors Taxaceae (Yew Family)
[Latin name]
5,6 Genera
18 species
I. Leaves
A. Linear, decurrent, resinous
B. Alternate, some opposite
II. Seed
A. Entirely or partially surrounded by fleshy aril
III. Economic importance
A. Ornamental
B. Taxus brevifolia (Pacific yew) taxol=anti cancer properties
IV. Range
A. N. America, E. Asia, New Caledonia
Taxus cuspidata (Japanese Yew)