1. Conifers of California

2. What is a Conifer?

3. The name ‘conifer’ comes from Latin and means ‘cone bearing’. All conifers bear their male and female reproductive organs in separate cones (strobili) rather than in flowers.

4. Most conifers are evergreen trees and shrubs. There are a very few exceptions.

5. The conifers belong to the group of seed plants known as the gymnosperms. Gymnosperm literally means ‘naked seed’. This is the main characteristic which differentiates them from the more advanced flowering plants (angiosperms) which bear their seeds encased in an ovary that becomes the fruit.

6. Trees usually bear both male and female cones. Male cones produce pollen grains which are transported to the female cones by wind. The seeds subsequently develop within the female cones.

7. Magnified young female cone

8. Female Cone Structure, overall diagram Cone scale inner end Cone scale outer end Where the seeds sit Scale tip Bract (woody or papery) Central axis of cone

9. Female pine cone structure, with scales “Soft” (white, 5-needle) pines usually have terminal umbo (raised part of scale tip) “Hard” (yellow, 2-3 needle) pines usually have umbo not quite at tip, but on upper surface of cone scale (“dorsal”)

10. Leaf Types in Conifers Scales: tiny, like roofing shingles Awl: triangular in cross-section, like the tool for sail- making Linear: long and narrow, also known as short- needle Needle: really long and really narrow, also known as long- needle

11. Female cone scale and seeds, detail

12. Needle Sheaths Deciduous (falling off when mature) Permanent

13. Female cone types

14. In some genera, such as Juniperus (juniper) and Taxus (yew) these may be fleshy.

15. The foliage of conifers is either needle- like or scale-like.

16. Conifer Families in California Pinaceae—Pine Family Cupressaceae—Cypress Family Taxaceae—Yew Family

17. Pine Family in California Pinaceae Abies—true firs Picea--spruces Pinus—pines Pseudotsuga—Douglas-firs Tsuga--hemlocks

18. Pine Family in California Abies—true firs Erect cones with deciduous scales Linear leaves (needles) attached singly

19. Pine Family in California Picea—spruces Pendant cones Linear leaves (needles) on pegs

20. Pine Family in California Pinus—pines Pendant, woody, persistent cones Needles in bundles

21. Pine Family in California Pseudotsuga—Douglas-firs Pendant, woody, persistent cones with exserted 3-toothed bracts Linear, single needles

22. Pine Family in California Tsuga—hemlocks Pendant, woody, persistent cones Droopy leader

23. Cypress Family in California Cupressaceae

24. Calocedrus—incense-cedar Chamaecyparis—whitecedar Cupressus—cypresses Juniperus—junipers Sequoia—coast redwood Sequoiadendron—giant sequoia Thuja--arborvitae

25. Cypress Family in California Calocedrus decurrens, incense-cedar scale-like leaves, duck-bill cones

26. Cypress Family in California Chamaecyparis Scale-like leaves, sphaerical cones, droopy leader

27. Cypress Family in California Cupressus Scale-like leaves, stiff branches, spherical woody cones

28. Cypress Family in California Juniperus Scale-like or awl-like leaves, berry- like cones

29. Cypress Family in California Sequoia Linear or awl-like leaves, small woody cones

30. Cypress Family in California Sequoiadendron awl-like leaves, small woody cones

31. Cypress Family in California Thuja plicata, western redcedar scale-like leaves, small woody cones

32. Yew Family in California Taxaceae Taxus brevifolia—Pacific yew Linear leaves, red juicy aril, purplish bark

33. Yew Family in California Taxaceae Torreya californica—California-nutmeg Linear spine-tipped leaves, olive-shaped aril

34. Identifying Conifers of California— key characters Female cones—shape, woody vs. fleshy, persistent vs. deciduous; bract shape Leaf type(s)—linear, needles, scales, awls Growth habit—tree, shrub, subshrub; stiff or droopy branches, flat or 3D branches Bark—fibrous, furrowed, platy, jigsaw puzzle pieces, color Geographic range Habitat

35. http://www.conifercountry.com/conifers.htm Conifers of the Klamath Region

37. Pines of California

38. Soft Pines, White Pines Needles: 5, except for pinyons (1-5) Fascicle sheath falls off (deciduous) One vein per needle Cone scales mostly thin at tip (umbo terminal), mostly unarmed Wood whitish, soft because of small proportion of summer wood (what’s summer wood?)

39. The redwood family, Taxodiaceae

40. Sequoia sempervirens coast redwood redwood family, Taxodiaceae

41. Pinus monticola, western white pine Cones stalked, cylindrical Umbo terminal, unarmed Needles 5, 2-4 in, stomate lines on two sides of needles White pine blister rust, fire Typically montane in Calif., lower elev. in northern states

42. White pine blister rust, Cronartium ribicola Thin bark susceptible also to fire, bark beetles

43. Pinus lambertiana, sugar pine Cones large, long-stalked, cylindrical, 11-20 in Scales thin, umbo terminal, unarmed Needles 5, 3-4 in, twisted Sweet resin “pinita” from wounds, eaten Good timber tree, mid-montane, cooler and wetter Dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium) and fire- susceptible

44. Hard Pines, Yellow Pines Needles 2-3 (except Torrey pine) Fascicle sheath persistent (stays with needle bundle) Two veins per needle Cone scales thick at apex (umbo dorsal), armed Wood hard, yellowish (greater proportion of summer wood)

45. Pinus ponderosa, ponderosa pine Needles 3s, 4-7(11)” (raspy when pulled backward) Cones 2-6”, prickly, umbo dorsal, with stout prickle pointed outward, Bark smell of vanilla (?) Drought resistant, Most important pine of N. America; more timber than any other pine

46. Pinus ponderosa, ponderosa pine “Defines the American West” These pines grow from the Rockies to the West Coast Largest individual in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, 223 ft x 94 in dia. In Sac. V., at 500 ft and above, in S. Cal, at 9500 ft! Pacific race occurs north of Transverse Ranges and W. of Sierra Hybridizes with Jeffrey pine Valuable for lumber, wildlife cover and food; Native Americans used for glue, resin medicinally for burns and sores

47. Pinus ponderosa biology Adapted to a fire regime: bark 3 in thick; likes mineral seedbed and brush clearing of low level fires (competing young firs killed)

48. Pinus washoensis, Washoe pine Similar to Pinus ponderosa, found in the Modoc Plateau

49. Pinus jeffreyi, Jeffrey pine, “Gasoline Tree” Needles 5-10”, in 3s or 2s and 3s, twisted Needles smell of pineapple Cones 5-10”, umbo dorsal, prickle reflexed (turned inward)

50. Pinus jeffreyi, Why Gasoline Tree? Jeffrey has heptane oleoresins, explosive! (Ponderosa has terpenes, from which turpentine is made) During Civil War, Union mfg. of turpentine misidentified pines and got Jeffrey pitch instead, which exploded in the factory!

51. Pinus jeffreyi, Biology “Diffuse mutualism with rodents and corvids” Seeds have wings, but are heavy. Most fall within 100 ft. This pine needs the Steller’s jays, Clark’s nutcrackers, yellow pine chipmunk, etc. In one day these animals put most of the seeds in shallow soil caches of 1-5 seeds. That’s how Jeffrey pine reproduces.

52. Pinus sabiniana, gray, ghost, foothill pine Needles 6-13”, in 3s, gray- green; cones 6-10”, heavy, scales with irregular apophyses ending in a claw; Low fringe forests of CA, susceptible to fire

53. Pinus coulteri, Coulter pine Needles 6-12”, in 3s, blue- green; cones 8-14 in, heaviest (4-6 lb), apophyses with large curved claw (bear claw pine) Mountains of S. coastal CA; some populations serotinus

54. Pinus attenuata, knobcone pine Cone serotinous, similar to Monterey pine, but basal scales prickly

55. Pinus contorta ssp murrayana, lodgepole pine Cones small, 1-2”, egg-shaped, may remain closed for years (serotinous) & persistent, umbo with small slender prickle Needles in 2s, 1-3”, twisted, yellow green to dark green

56. Pinyon pines, incl. Pinus monophylla, single-leaf pinyon Cone short-stalked, ovoid-globose, 1-3”, scales thick, umbo unarmed or small prickle, Needles 1-5, 1-3” Seed wingless, used for food, up to 20 lb per tree Dry pinyon-juniper woodlands

57. Pinyon pines, incl. Pinus monophylla, single-leaf pinyon Kept Fremont’s party from starving Feed corvids, rodents, bighorn sheep, bears Used as charcoal to smelt ore; charcoal made in beehive ovens

58. Pinyon charcoal made in beehive ovens

59. Pinus albicaulis, white-bark pine, summit pine “The cones of this pine were so rare, that…I had for two weeks an offer…of a dollar for a good cone; and no one was able to claim the reward.” John S. Newberry, MD, 1855

60. Pinus albicaulis, white-bark pine Cones short-stalked, ovoid- globose, 2-3”, serotinous scales thick, umbo terminal and armed Seeds wingless… Needles 5, 1-3”, at ends of twigs High mountains; birds attack cones

61. Pinus albicaulis, white-bark pine Mutualistic relationship with Clark’s nutcracker (whitebark dependent upon the birds for reproduction) Cone scales do not open, just loosen Cones are purple and shiny with resin Birds hack them free while cones still pitchy

62. Pinus albicaulis, white-bark pine Birds “pouch” the seeds in their mouths (100 per batch), then plant them in caches of about 5 Each bird plants 90,000 seeds, and remembers the locations Extra seeds grow into clumps of whitebark pines

63. Pinus flexilis, limber pine Cones short-stalked, ovoid, 3-6”;scales thickened, umbo terminal, unarmed (tongues sticking out) Needles 5, 2-3”, clustered at twig tips, white lines on all surfaces Mostly east of Sierra Crest, at 3000 ft in the north, higher in south Also a “bird pine”

64. Pinus flexilis, limber pine Evolved in Mexico under selection pressure from jays that harvested and cached the largest and least winged seeds! Moved north with climate change, and now spread by Clark’s nutcrackers “Timber pine” of the Great Basin (used to build Old West saloons, etc, in Nevada)

65. Pinus flexilis, limber pine Shade: intolerant Fire: moderately tolerant Tree looks like whitebark pine, but cones different; these two hybridize Food for wildlife, esp. Clark’s nutcracker

66. Pinus balfouriana, foxtail pine Cones short-stalked, ovoid, 3- 5”, scales thick, umbo with prickle “fox scratch marks” on scales (or “fox tail”) Needles 5, short, about 1”, branches bushy Alpine, above 5000’, lives 2100 yrs Found near bristlecones

67. Pinus aristata, Rocky Mtn bristlecone P longaeva, Great Basin bristlecone Cones short-stalked, cylindric, 2-4”, scales thick, with long stiff prickle Needles 5, about 1” Very long-lived (5100 years+)

68. Pinus torreyana, Torrey pine Coastal San Diego Co, most restricted range of any N Amer pine; needles 6-12”, in 5s(!), cones 4-6”, thick scales with a straight prickle (chocolate cone)

69. Pinus radiata, Monterey pine Needles 4-6”, 3s or 2s, dark green; cones 3-5”, asymmetrical, serotinus; coastal central CA in the fog belt; common decorative tree; widely planted and produces saw timber around the world Told from knobcone by smooth basal scales

70. Pinus attenuata, knobcone pine Cone serotinous, similar to Monterey pine, but basal scales prickly

71. Pinus muricata, bishop pine Needles in twos, dk green in Mendocino Co, bright green in Sonoma Co., coastal, Cones curved, scales thick on side facing away from tree; largest spikes at middle of cone; serotinous; Part of Pygmy Forest with Mendo. Cypress (named for Mission San Luis Obispo, near where discovered)

72. Conifers Cypress family Redwood family Pine family

73. Pinus ponderosa, Ponderosa pine, Pine family

74. Large tree, 3-needled, prickly cone, jigsaw puzzle bark “Prickly ponderosa and gentle Jeffrey” Best native pine for valley and foothill gardens (tolerates water)

75. Pinus ponderosa, Ponderosa pine, Pine family Jigsaw puzzle bark

76. California native tree, grows naturally at higher elevation Has scale leaves, cone like a duck beak (or flying goose) In Redding, needs some summer water; will grow in sun or moderate shade Can be susceptible to Botryosphaeria fungal disease Calocedrus decurrens, incense-cedar cypress family, Cupressaceae

77. susceptible to Botryosphaeria fungal disease Left, Botryo on Calocedrus; Right, Botryo on Raywood ash; below, Botryo on grape Calocedrus decurrens, incense-cedar cypress family, Cupressaceae

78. Redwood Forests Sequoia sempervirens, Coast redwood

79. Where do redwoods live? From just over the Oregon border, along the coast of California to just south of Big Sur, in the fog belt

80. Sequoiadendron giganteum, giant sequoia, redwood family, Taxodiaceae

81. Sequoiadendron giganteum, giant sequoia,

82. Sequoiadendron giganteum giant sequoia, big tree redwood family, Taxodiaceae Very large, very beautiful tree Native to central Sierra (east of Fresno, where the parks are) Not the best choice for interior gardens (ours is leaning…) Leaves: awls Cone: peltate cone scales are “pouting”

83. Pinus ponderosa, ponderosa pine, pine family, Pinaceae Long green needles Prickly cone scales

84. Large tree, 3-needles per bundle, prickly cone, jigsaw puzzle bark “Prickly ponderosa and gentle Jeffrey” Best native pine for valley and foothill gardens (tolerates water) Pinus ponderosa, ponderosa pine, pine family, Pinaceae

85. Jigsaw puzzle bark Pinus ponderosa, ponderosa pine, pine family, Pinaceae