Exam 5 Flashcards
Gymnosperm Divisions / Orders
Ginkgos - Ginkgoidae - 1 species - Ginkgo biloba
Cycads - Cycadidae - 305 species - tree ferns
Gnetums - Gnetidae - 3 genera / 10 species - Ephedra in CA
Conifers - Pinidae
- Order Cupressales
- Order Pinales - 500+ species
- Order Araucariales
Cupressales - Families and Characteristics
Taxaceae - linear, sharp pointed leaves, cones fleshy arils
Cupressaceae - linear, subulate or scale leaves, cones woody, leathery, or semi-fleshy, winged or wingless
Cephalotaxaceae - acicular or linear leaves, cones erect and globose with reflexed scales
Auricariales - Families and Characteristics
Podocarpaceae - scale or willow-like foliage, cones reduced to few fleshy scales
Auracariaceae - foliage acicular or linear, cones erect, globose, milky scales, 1 seeded
Pinales - Family Pinaceae
11 Genera - 232 species worldwide
Abies - persistent, linear, flattened, sessile leaves
Larix - Deciduous, acicular, triangular or 4 sided, single/whorled or short shoots
Picea - persistent, linear, angled, sessile on small woody pegs (sterigmata)
Pinus - Persistent, acicular with fascicle sheath
Pseudotsuga - Persistent, linear, flattened, petiolate on “raised leaf cushions”
Tsuga - Persistent, flattened, petiolate
Cedrus - Persistent, triangular, in whorls on short shoots - No Native US Species
Genus Abies - True Firs
42 species in northern hemisphere
11 species in North America, 9 in the west
cool to cold climate
products - some timber, pulpwood, oleo-resins, christmas trees, ornamental
Genus Abies - common CA species - leaves/bark
amabilis - Pacific silver fir - flat leaves - silver-grey bark
concolor - white fir - flat leaves - dark gray/ridges bark
grands - grand fir - flat leaves - gray-brown bark
magnifier - California red fir - 4 sided stom. all, needles upright - red-brown bark
procera - noble fir - 4 sided stop. all, needles upright - dark gray / purple bark
X. shastensis - Shasta red fir - magnifica x procera
Genus Abies - common CA species - cones
fir cones disintegrate when mature, lose scales when dispersing seeds
amabilis - 3-6” .. bracts shorter than scales
councilor - 3-5” .. bracts shorter than scales
grands - 2-4.5’.. bracts shorter than scales
magnifica - 6-9’.. bracts shorter or longer
procera - 4-7”.. bracts longer than scales
Genus Abies - common CA species - notes
amabilis - most common western fir, mainly Oregon and Washington
concolor - largest range but scattered populations - happiest in the Sierras
grandis - one of two firs in N. Rockies, common to PNW
magnifica - larger, hybridizes w. A. procera to produce A. X. shastensis
procera - largest, best timber, smallest range - Cascades
Rarer species:
lasiocarpa - subalpine fir - more common at high altitudes, can live for 500+ years
bracteata - bristlecone fir - very rare - Santa Lucia mountains, Monterey county
Genus Picea - Transcontinental/Canadian Species
glauca - sharp, blue green needles, glaucous, fetid smell - cones 1.25-2.5”
mariana - dull blue-green needles, semi-glaucous, blunt tips - cones 0.5-1.25”
Genus Picea - Western Species - Leaves
engelmanii - 4 sides, blue-green, not sharp or pungent-tasting
pungens - 4 sides, blue-green, sharp/stiff, pungent taste
sitchensis - flattened, yellow-green top, blue-green bottom, sharp but not prickly
Genus Picea - Western Species - Cones
engelmanii - 1.25-2.74”, rhombic-oblong scales, appressed, erose, flexible tips (1 yr)
pungens - 2.5-4”, rhotic-oblong scales, spreading, erose, flexible tips (2yr)
sitchensis - 2-3.5”, oblong scales, erose, stiff tips (1yr)
Mediterranean Regime Mountains Division
North Coast Ranges North Interior Coast Ranges Klamaths Southern Cascades Modoc Plateau Sierra Nevada Foothills Sierra Nevadas
Klamaths
Annual Precipitation - 18 - 120 inches
Elevation Range - 200-9000 feet
Climate/Seasons - moderate to hot summers / cold winters
Location/Prominent features:
Typic environments, plant communities, and species
- Low elevation canyons: canyon live oak or douglas-fir-tanoak forest
- Eastern side: Chaparrals and blue oak woodlands
- Western montane elevations: Douglas-fir intergrading with white fir / shasta red fir forest w elevation
- Eastern montane elevations: Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, mix conifers (like SN), white fir, shasta red fir
- Montane chaparral: Greenleaf manzanita, huckleberry oak, tobacco brush
- subalpine ridges and north slopes: mountain hemlock, subalpine foxtail, whitebark pine
Cascades
Annual Precipitation - 8 to 80 inches
Elevation Range - 2000 - 14000 feet
Climate/Seasons - warm and dry summers / cold and snowy winters
Location/Prominent features: Southern edge of Cascades, which extend North to Oregon and Washington. Mount Shasta and Mount Lassen
Typic environments, plant communities, and species
- montane elevation forests: Jeffrey pine, mixed conifer, ponderosa pine
- montane chaparral: greenleaf manzanita
- upper montane forest: white fir / red fir
- subalpine elevations: lodgepole pine, western white pine, whitebark pine
North Coast Ranges
Annual Precipitation - 25 - 125 inches
Elevation Range - 300-8100 ft
Climate/Seasons - warm to hot summers
Location/Prominent features: bounded by North Coast, Interior Ranges, and Klamath Mountains. S. Fork Mountain, Yolla Bollys, Round Valley, Clear Lake
Typic environments, plant communities, and species
- Low elevations: Doug-fir/tanoak
- Higher elevation: Doug-fir/ponderosa pine, white fire, red fir
- Subalpine peaks: subalpine foxtail, Jeffery pine woodland
- Interior lowlands: blue oak, oregon white oak woodlands, chaparrals, grasslands
