Lecture 15: Gymnosperms (2)

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Lecture 15 Gymnosperms (2)
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3. Coniferales
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Pinaceae
Genera Pinus (pines) Larix (larch) Abies
(fir) Picea (spruce) Tsuga (hemlock) Pseudotsuga
(Douglas fir)
Trees (rarely shrubs) with resin canals. Leaves
needle-like solitary or grouped in fascicles,
persistent (rarely caducous). Monoecious. Female
cones usually with numerous carpels (scales).
resin canal in xylem
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Genera Pinus (pines) Larix (larch) Abies
(fir) Picea (spruce) Tsuga (hemlock) Pseudotsuga
(Douglas fir)
Genera with 2 to numerous lvs. in fascicles.
Genera with solitary lvs.
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Pinus (pines) (cca 300 spp.)
Trees. Leaves 2, 3 or 5 in a fascicle. Female
cones big, mature after 2 seasons Carpels
(scales), thick, woody, with a prominence called
umbo.
5 leaves in fascicles.P. strobus
2 leaves in fascicles P. banksiana
P. resinosa P. sylvestris

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Species with 5 leaves in fascicles.P.
strobus Western white pine
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Species with 2 leaves in fascicles
Cones are curved do not open for many
years. P. banksiana (Jack Pine)
Cones are straight and open at maturity
P. sylvestris
P. resinosa
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Cones are straight and open at maturity
Lvs. 7-15 cm long, green P. resinosa - Red Pine
Lvs. 3-7 cm, bluish-green P. sylvestris - Scots
Pine
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Larix (larch)
Larix laricina Eastern larch
Trees. Leaves 10-60 in a fascicle,
deciduous. Female cones small, mature in 1st
season each scale with a bract at the base.
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Abies (Fir, ca 40 spp.)
Abies balsamea - Canada balsam
Trees. Leaves solitary, persistent, alternate,
arranged in 2 rows, flattened, on the lower side
with 2 longitudinal lines of white dots
(stomata) base of leaf flared, apex rounded or
notched. Female cones big, mature in 1st season,
erect, cylindrical, disarticulate at
maturity Individual scales fall and only the
axis of the cone remains on the shoot Each scale
with a long bract at the base.
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Christmas tree the Paradise Play
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Picea Spruce, 40 spp.
Picea glauca White spruce
Trees. Leaves solitary, persistent, alternate,
spirally arranged on the shoots, 4-angled, with
longitudinal white lines on the faces base
narrowed and attached to leaf-peg, apex
pointed. Female cones mature in 1st season,
pendulous, cylindrical, do not disarticulate at
maturity. Bracts accompanying scales very small,
inconspicuous
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TsugaHemlock
Tsuga canadensis Eastern hemlock Leaves
serrate!!!!!!
Trees Leaves solitary, persistent, alternate, ?
in 2 rows, flattened, serrate toward apex, with
longitudinal white lines on the faces base
narrowed into a petiole, apex rounded or
emarginate. Female cones small, mature in 1st
season, erect, do not disarticulate at
maturity Bracts accompanying scales very small,
inconspicuous
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Tsuga canadensis Eastern hemlock
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PsudotsugaDouglas fir
Pseudotsuga menziesii Douglas fir Citrus
smell!!!
Trees Leaves solitary, persistent, alternate,
2-ranked to spirally arranged, flattened (margins
entire), with longitudinal white lines on the
faces base narrowed into a petiole, apex rounded
to acute. Female cones big, mature in 1st season,
pendulous, do not disarticulate at
maturity. Bracts accompanying scales very long
and 3-lobed.
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Pseudotsuga menziesii
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Crazy Gymnosperms!Gnetales/Ephedaceae/Ephedra
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The Ephedra Equation

• Many dietary supplements Weight loss products
  contain ephedrine and/or caffeine from a variety
  of botanical sources.
• Ephedra has been used in Chinese traditional
  medicine for the treatment of asthma and hay
  fever, as well as for the common cold for more
  5000 years.
• Historically in N Am, it was used as a stimulant
  tea Mormon Tea, Brigham Tea, and other names.
• Contains ephedrine, pseudo-ephedrine,
  nor-ephedrine, methyl-ephedrine, tannins,
  saponin, and flavone.

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Effects Ephedra is both a stimulant (similar to
adrenaline) and a thermogenic. It increases heart
rate, constricts blood vessels (increasing blood
pressure), and expands bronchial tubes (making
breathing easier). Its thermogenic properties
cause an increase in metabolism, evidenced by an
increase in body heat. Just like other
stimulants, in high doses, ephedra can cause
heart attacks, stroke, and seizures.
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What do these people have in common?
Korey Stringer, Minnesota Vikings
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Crazy GymnospermsGnetales/Welwitschia mirabilis
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Crazy GymnospermsGnetales/Welwitschia mirabilis