Conifers of California - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Conifers of CaliforniaSlide2

What is a Conifer?Slide3

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

.Slide4

M

ost conifers are

evergreen trees and shrubs.  

There are a very few exceptions.Slide5

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. Slide6

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.Slide7

Magnified young female coneSlide8

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 coneSlide9

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”)Slide10

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-needleSlide11

Female cone scale and seeds, detailSlide12

Needle Sheaths

Deciduous (falling off when mature)

PermanentSlide13

Female cone typesSlide14

In some genera, such as

Juniperus

(juniper) and

Taxus (yew) these may be fleshy. Slide15

The foliage of conifers is either

needle-like or scale-like.Slide16

Conifer Families in California

Pinaceae

—Pine Family

Cupressaceae

—Cypress FamilyTaxaceae—Yew FamilySlide17

Pine Family in California

Pinaceae

Abies

—true firs

Picea--spruces

Pinus

—pines

Pseudotsuga

—Douglas-firs

Tsuga

--hemlocksSlide18

Pine Family in California

Abies

—true firs

Erect cones with deciduous scales

Linear leaves (needles)

a

ttached singlySlide19

Pine Family in California

Picea

—spruces

Pendant cones

Linear leaves (needles)

on pegsSlide20

Pine Family in California

Pinus

—pines

Pendant , woody, persistent cones

Needles in bundlesSlide21

Pine Family in California

Pseudotsuga

—Douglas-firs

Pendant , woody, persistent cones with

exserted

3-toothed bracts

Linear, single needlesSlide22

Pine Family in California

Tsuga

—hemlocks

Pendant , woody, persistent cones

Droopy leaderSlide23

Cypress Family in California

CupressaceaeSlide24

Cypress Family in California

Cupressaceae

Calocedrus

—incense-cedar

Chamaecyparis

—whitecedar

Cupressus

—cypresses

Juniperus

—junipers

Sequoia

—coast redwood

Sequoiadendron

—giant sequoia

Thuja

--arborvitaeSlide25

Cypress Family in California

Calocedrus

decurrens

, incense-cedar

scale-like leaves, duck-bill conesSlide26

Cypress Family in California

Chamaecyparis

Scale-like leaves,

sphaerical

cones, droopy leaderSlide27

Cypress Family in California

Cupressus

Scale-like leaves, stiff branches,

spherical

woody conesSlide28

Cypress Family in California

Juniperus

Scale-like or awl-like leaves, berry-like conesSlide29

Cypress Family in California

Sequoia

Linear or awl-like leaves, small woody conesSlide30

Cypress Family in California

Sequoiadendron

awl-like leaves, small woody conesSlide31

Cypress Family in California

Thuja

plicata

,

western

redcedar

scale-like leaves, small woody conesSlide32

Yew Family in California

Taxaceae

Taxus

brevifolia

—Pacific yew

Linear leaves, red juicy aril, purplish barkSlide33

Yew Family in California

Taxaceae

Torreya

californica

—California-nutmeg

Linear spine-tipped leaves, olive-shaped arilSlide34

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

HabitatSlide35

http://

www.conifercountry.com/conifers.htm

Conifers of the Klamath RegionSlide36
Slide37

Pines of California Slide38

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?)Slide39

The redwood family, TaxodiaceaeSlide40

Sequoia sempervirens

coast redwood

redwood family, TaxodiaceaeSlide41

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

               Slide42

White pine blister rust,

Cronartium ribicola

Thin bark susceptible also to fire, bark beetlesSlide43

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

               Slide44

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)Slide45

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

               Slide46

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 soresSlide47

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)Slide48

Pinus washoensis,

Washoe pine

Similar to

Pinus ponderosa

, found in the Modoc PlateauSlide49

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)Slide50

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!Slide51

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.Slide52

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 fireSlide53

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 serotinusSlide54

Pinus attenuata, knobcone pine

Cone serotinous, similar to Monterey pine, but basal scales prickly

               Slide55

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

               Slide56

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 woodlandsSlide57

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 ovensSlide58

Pinyon charcoal made in beehive ovensSlide59

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

               Slide60

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

               Slide61

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

               Slide62

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

               Slide63

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”

               Slide64

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)

               Slide65

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

               Slide66

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 bristleconesSlide67

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+)Slide68

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)Slide69

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 scalesSlide70

Pinus attenuata, knobcone pine

Cone serotinous, similar to Monterey pine, but basal scales prickly

               Slide71

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)Slide72

Conifers

Cypress family

Redwood family

Pine familySlide73

Pinus ponderosa, Ponderosa pine, Pine family Slide74

Pinus ponderosa, Ponderosa pine, Pine family

Large tree, 3-needled, prickly cone, jigsaw puzzle bark

“Prickly ponderosa and gentle Jeffrey”

Best native pine for valley and foothill gardens (tolerates water)Slide75

Pinus ponderosa, Ponderosa pine, Pine family

Jigsaw puzzle barkSlide76

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, CupressaceaeSlide77

susceptible to Botryosphaeria fungal disease

Left, Botryo on Calocedrus; Right, Botryo on Raywood ash; below, Botryo on grape

Calocedrus

decurrens

, incense-cedar

cypress family, CupressaceaeSlide78

Redwood Forests

Sequoia sempervirens

, Coast redwoodSlide79

Where do redwoods live?

From just over the Oregon border, along the coast of California to just south of Big Sur, in the fog beltSlide80

Sequoiadendron giganteum

,

giant sequoia,

redwood family, TaxodiaceaeSlide81

Sequoiadendron giganteum

,

giant sequoia, Slide82

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”Slide83

Pinus ponderosa

, ponderosa pine, pine family, Pinaceae

Long green needles

Prickly cone scalesSlide84

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

Slide85

Jigsaw puzzle bark

Pinus

ponderosa

, ponderosa pine, pine family,

Pinaceae