Dichotomous Key/Pinales

The order Pinales is composed of

Incertae sedis

1: Trees produce cones or arils.

2: Leaves alternate or in fascicles or clusters (not opposite or whorled), needle-like,

(scale-like leaves often present on fruiting branches of Taxodium); fruit a cone.

3: Leaves in fascicles of 2-5 leaves or mostly in clusters of many leaves on

spur-like branches.

4: Leaves in fascicles of 2-5 leaves, persistent.........................Pinus

4: Leaves mostly in clusters of many leaves on the ends of spur-like branches,

deciduous............................................................................Larix

3: Leaves scattered, alternate.

5: Ultimate twigs very slender, greenish and mostly deciduous; leaves deciduous, yellowish-green,

much flattened and in two ranks; bark fibrous; cones with several wedge-shaped

woody scales......................................................................Taxodium

5: Ultimate twigs not deciduous; leaves persistent, not yellowish-green above;

bark not fibrous.

6: Branchlets roughened by the persistent leaf bases; leaves deciduous when dry; cones pendulous, the bracts shorter than the cone scales.

7: Leaves sessile, mostly four-sided, often sharp-pointed................Picea

7: Leaves stalked, flattened, blunt......................................Tsuga

6: Branchlets not roughened by persistent leaf bases.

8: Leaves sessile, flattened, (seldom four-sided); leaf-scars orbicular, not decurrent;

cones erect, the scales deciduous.......................................Abies

8: Leaves stalked, flattened; leaf-scars decurrent.

9: Leaves mostly with obtuse tips and with two white lines on the lower surface;

cones pendulous, the scales persistent in the axils of long exserted bracts.........Pseudotsuga

9: Leaves with acute tips, yellow-green on the lower surface; "fruit" drupe-like........Taxus

2: Leaves opposite or whorled, often of two kinds, scale-like, awl-shaped, or linear.