The Tree Families 



a tjje to run it down to its family in tiie key. The intentness of 

 thi exercise will fix on the mind the characters that distinguish 

 thJfamily. You find yourself rolling a leaf between thumb and 

 fir er to see if it has the four sharp edges that set the spruces apart 

 frcfi all the others. Or you look intently for the tiny leaf stem 



pale-lined flat leaf, to know whether it is a hemlock or a fir. 



In the grand division AA the broad-leaved trees are set in 

 r proper families. There are more of these than of the ever- 

 giens. They are best studied while leaves are to be had for 

 ntification. Often the seeds remain in winter, and we can 

 g[. on with only the evidence of dead leaves. There are few 

 eks in the year when the key may not be effectively used on 

 ay tramp in the woods. 



As in the evergreens, the local and rare families of broad- 

 1 :ved trees have been omitted, that the key may not discourage 

 tginners by its complexity. In all, the thirty-three families 

 jven include between four and five hundred species, and a large 

 |Oportion of those left out are esteemed chiefly by the botanists, 

 any of these will be found described later in this book. 



The key to the families introduces the reader to the more 

 itricate distinctions between trees of various genera and species 

 I the family. The keys to species are made, on the same plan, 

 aving determined that a certain tree belongs to the maple 

 imily, the inquirer is able to turn to "The Maples," and by the 

 ey to decide which of the various species this individual tree 

 ^presents. This is the final end of any key to lead the student 

 D discover the name of the individual tree. 



