European Pinaceae ! widely cultivated Picea abies ! naturalized Norway spruce

Sight ID characteristics • Pendulous, rope-like branches • Leaves with rounded apex, not prickly • Large seed cones (4-8” long) with notched, lobed, or pointed scales – not rounded

41 NOTES AND SKETCHES

42 Pinaceae Picea engelmannii Engelmann spruce

Sight ID characteristics • Subalpine zone in Cascades and northern Rockies • Sharp, blue-green, square leaves • Twigs distinctly puberulent to pubescent • Seed cones ca. 2” long, scales with erose margins, brown

43 NOTES AND SKETCHES

44 Pinaceae Picea pungens blue spruce

Sight ID characteristics • Subalpine zone in central Rockies • Bark furrowed on mature trees – not scales • Sharp, blue-green, square leaves • Twigs glabrous • Seed cones ca. 2.5”-4” long, scales with erose margins, yellow-brown

45 NOTES AND SKETCHES

46 Pinaceae Picea sitchensis Sitka spruce

Sight ID characteristics • Largest spruce – only found along northern Pacific coast with 30 miles of ocean • Sharp, distinctly flattened leaves (triangular in X-section) - green above, blueish below, • Seed cones ca. 2”-3.5” long, scales with erose margins, bracts " as long as scales

47 NOTES AND SKETCHES

48 Pinaceae Picea glauca white spruce

Sight ID characteristics • Boreal species from sea level to 4,000# • Leaves glaucous with stomatal bands above and below, apex acute, but not sharp, upswept • Twigs glabrous • Seed cones ca. 1.25”-2.5” long, scales rounded with entire margins (not erose), bract longer than wide

49 NOTES AND SKETCHES

50 Pinaceae Picea mariana black spruce

Sight ID characteristics • Smallish tree, boreal but wet/boggy sites • Leaves blunt on mature foliage, generally shorter, blue-green, square leaves • Twigs distinctly puberulent to pubescent with mix of acute and capitate hairs • Seed cones short (to 1.25” long), scales with erose margins, suspended from thick stalk and persistent for many years.

51 NOTES AND SKETCHES

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