Final Exam Conifers: Pine

Leaves: can have a long stem and leaves attached directly or short side stems with leaves attached, called fascicles; no compound leaves; all simple and can be needle- or scale-like

Conical in shape due to suppression from adjacent buds that won’t grow until they become a far enough distance away; the bottommost branches are the largest because they grow first and suppress the rest as they go upward

All are woody

Can be evergreen or deciduous (lose leaves in spring)

widely distributed throughout the world from the northern hemisphereto the southern

Male and female cones on both plant

Male: each cone scale produces a certain number of microsporangia and is a microsporophyll; transient

Female develop more slowly and are considered modified branches due to the bract (takes about 2.5 years)

Ornamentals and lumber used for framework

Most conifers produce resin because of the resin canals located in the stems and leaves; used for fungicide or to cover wounds; turns to amber

largest trees

has shallow root system that extend outward from the tree; adjacent roots are going to intertwine with one another

Giant sequoia and coastal redwoods differ in their leaves

coast of CA

ornamental 

juniper berries used to flavor gin

produce male and female cones, but female cones don't look like cones. Instead, they look like berries

unisexual

Has separate male and female plants

Produces male cones, but not female cones

Produces individual seeds with an extra fleshy bright red layer around it

extremely toxic due to alkaloids (the seeds and the leaves are)