Gymnosperms


Include the following families:
Araucariaceae, Cupressaceae, Ginkgoaceae, Pinaceae, and Taxaceae. [Note that Taxodiaceae is now included in Cupressaceae.]

Note that only Juniper, Scots Pine and Yew are native - Most spp. shown are planted in forestry, parks or gardens


Select using: Leaf characters     or     Fruiting cones



Leaf characters


Leaves scale-like - Choose from terminal branch arrangement:




Terminal branches flat spreading in 1 plane


White Xs on underside
Flat twigs, white 'butterfly' marks
Flat twigs, double 'butterfly' marks
Shoots in flat hanging sprays

Shoots 'droopy'
Flat lvs in vertical planes
Flat lvs, long white stripes

Terminal branchlets NOT spreading in 1 plane

Scale lvs with sm. point
Branchlets not flat
Some juvenile needles
Scale lvs alternate

Short scale lvs
Long scale lvs
Pointed scale lvs
Curled up shoot tips



Needles single:

Lvs tapered at tip and base, on short persistent pegs
Needles single, sessile, on "suckers"
Lvs on partly raised angled "cushions"
Lvs variable size
Spruces, Picea
Firs, Abies
Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga
Western Hemlock Tsuga

Leaves in 2s or 3s, not appressed
Needles single on young shts
Needles with short petiole
base of Needles decurrent
Juniper, Juniperus
Cedrus
Yew, Taxus
Podocarpaceae

Needles with short petiole
Flat lvs in one plane
Flat lvs, deciduous
Flat lvs in one plane
Irish Yew, Taxus
Redwood, Metasequoia
Swamp cypress Taxodium
Sequoia

Long scale-like lvs
Lvs single, clumped
Flat lvs, not 1 plane
Shrub with needle-like lvs
Cryptomeria
see also Ericaceae

Needles in clumps:

Needles in clumps (2-5)
Needles deciduous in clumps >10
Needles evergreen in clumps >10
Clumps with single needles
Pines, Pinus
Larch, Larix
Cedars, Cedrus
Sciadopitys

Leaves flat:

Lvs broad, flat
Lvs Fan-shaped
Lvs rigid, broad, pointed


Fruiting cones

Upward-pointing cones:

Firs (Abies)
Cedars
Larches
Thuja

Platycladus
Sciadopitys

Cones hanging:

Spruce (Picea)
Spruce (Picea)
Pseudotsuga
Tsuga

Pinus nigra
P. sylvestris
P. radiata
P. contorta

Sequoiadendron
Calocedrus
Athrotaxis
Athrotaxis

Metasequoia
Araucaria

Cones not obviously upright nor hanging

C. pisifera
C. lawsoniana
C. x leylandii
C. macrocarpa

C. nootkatensis
C. torulosa
Cryptomeria
Fitzroya

Sequoia
Taxodium
Platycladus
Juniperus

Taxus