CONIFER NEEDLE EXTERNAL ANATOMY

Cupressaceae

• Shape of Twig
  • flat e.g., Calocedrus
  • round
  • angular
• Shape of Scale
  • rounded  
  • acute  
  • acuminate  
• Resin Gland
  • size  
  • erupted - not
• Teeth
  • Presence - Absence  
• Glaucous - not

Taxodiaceae

• Scales vs. Needles
• (Needles)
  • Base  
  • Terminus
  • Stomata Rows

Taxaceae

• Bases
• Termini
• Length
• Stomata Rows

Pinaceae

• Bases
• Termini
  • retuse  
  • blunt  
  • acute  
  • acuminate  
• Serrations
  • location
  • size
• Stomata
  • # rows
  • upper & lower
  • recessed - not
• Resin Ducts
  • number
  • position
• Length
• Shape, #/Fascicle

  Abies concolor

  sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/

  Abies

  • Shape
    • LS spatulate, twisted, wide base
    • XS rectangular
    • Tip: retuse - rounded
  • Stomata
    • adaxial: 1 band
    • abaxial: 2 bands
  • Twigs
    • oval leaf scars

  Picea engelmannii

  sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/

  Picea

  • Shape
    • LS short and straight
    • XS square
  • Tips
    • acute to acuminate
  • Stomata
    • 2 bands ab- and adaxially
  • Twigs
    • raised sterigmata

  Pseudotsuga menziesii

  sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/

  Pseudotsuga

  • Shape
    • LS narrow base, petiole
    • XS rectangular
  • Tips
    • acute
  • Stomata
    • adaxial no bands
    • abaxial two bands
  • Twigs
    • small scars, ridges

  Pinus edulis

  sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/

  Pinus

  • Shapes
    • LS straight, in fascicles
    • XS various, #/fascicle
  • Stomata
    • adaxial: present/absent
    • abaxial: two bands

TYPES TO DRAW

CUPRESSACEAE Thuja plicata
PINACEAE Abies concolor
PINACEAE Picea pungens
PINACEAE Pinus edulis
PINACEAE Pseudotsuga menziesii

CUPRESSACEAE

• Cupressus

  sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/

• Juniperus
  • communis
  • J. horizontalis vs. J. scopulorum
  • J. osteosperma vs. monosperma
  • J. deppeana vs. J. occidentalis

  1mm Juniperus osteosperma faint abaxial stomata serrulate	adaxial stomata lg. resin gland (yellow)
  1mm Juniperus scopulorum	adaxial stomata lg. resin gland (yellow)

  sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/

• Calocedrus
• Thuja plicata

  Twig flattened, 1 mm

  Abaxial stomata

TAXACEAE

• Taxus

  Taxus canadensis 1-2 mm x 10-15 mm	No resin canal

  Torreya

  Torreya californica 4 mm x 50 mm

TAXODIACEAE

• Sequoia

  Sequoia sempervirens 2-3 x 12 mm

  Adaxial, 4-6 rows of stomata Abaxial, many rows of stomata

  sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/

• Sequoiadendron

  Sequoiadendron giganteum 1-2 x 7 mm

  Adaxial, 2 bands of stomata Abaxial, scattered rows of stomata

• Taxodium

  Taxodium distichum 1 x 10 mm Stomata, 4-5 rows on both surfaces

  no resin ducts

PINACEAE

sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/

• Abies

  Abies concolor 2-3 x 50 mm Stomata 1 band adaxial, 2 bands abaxial
  Abies lasiocarpa 1-2 x 15 mm Stomata 1 narrow band adaxial, 2 bands abaxial		twig

• Larix

  Larex layallii 0.5 x 40 mm Stomata on both surfaces

  No resin canals

  sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/

• Picea

  Picea glauca 1 x 10 mm Stomata in 2 bands both surfaces
  Picea mariana 1 x 9 mm Stomata in 2 bands both surfaces
  Picea rubens 1 x 11 mm Stomata in 2 bands both surfaces

  sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/

• Pseudotsuga

  Pseudotsuga menziesii 1-2 x 10-30 mm stomata 2 bands abaxial surface only

  twig 1-2 mm

• Tsuga

  Tsuga mertensiana 1-2 mm wide, 8-15 mm long Stomata on both surfaces

  Small resin canal

• Pinus albicaulis vs. P. flexilis vs. P. strobiformis
• P. chihuahuana vs. P. Ponderosa
• P. contorta

  Pinus contorta 1-2 x 45-50 mm stomata both surfaces serrate

  sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/

  Pinus monophylla 2 x 50 mm stomata in long straight glaucous rows

  
  
  

  P.nigra

  P.resinosa

  P.sylvestris

  P.strobus

  
  
  

  Pinus species	#/Fascicle	Serrate	Dorsal stomata	Ventral stomata
  monophylla	1	-	10	10
  contorta	2	sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/	10	10
  edulis	2(3)	-	3-4	3-4
  cembroides	2-3	-(t)	2-3	0,2-3
  chihuahuana	3	sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/	6-8	10
  discolor	3	-	0	2
  ponderosa	3(5)	sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/	10	10
  albicaulis	5	-(+)	3	2-3*
  flexilis	5	-	3*	2-3*
  strobiformis	5	-	2*	0-1
  * = recessed stomata