KEY FOR IDENTIFICATION OF ALASKA TREES 
I. Trees with necdlelike foliage. 
A. Foliage shed during winter. 
I, Needles in bundles of 12 to 20 except on leading 
branches, where they are scattered singly. Three- 
fourths inch to 1% inches long. 
TAMARACK (p. 10) 
AA. Foliage not shed during winter. (All other Alaska 
conifers.) 
1. Stiff] sharp, pointed needles without leafstalks, scat- 
tered singly on branches, usually 4-angled in cross 
section and standing out on all sides. Cones pen- 
dulous. Branchlets roughened by persistent leaf 
bases. 
THE SPRUCES (p. 12) 
2. Needles blunt, 6oft, with short stalks, scattered 
singly on slender branches, drooping at tips. 
Branchlets roughened by persistent leaf bases. 
Cones pendulous. 
THE HEMLOCKS (p. 14) 
3. Needles thick, without stalks, sometimes notched 
at ends, occurring singly on branches. Branchlets 
not roughened by leaf bases. Cones erect with 
scales falling from axis when mature. 
THE FIRS (p. 16) 
4. Needles in clusters of two; very occasionally three; 
dark green, 1 to 3 inches long. Cones usually not 
over 2 inches long with recurved prickles. 
LODGEPOLE PINE (p. 10) 
5. Needles glossy, occurring singly on two sides of 
branches, one-half to five-eighths inch long, dark 
yellow green, comb-like appearance. Fruit a red 
berry. Confined to southern southeastern Alaska. 
PACIFIC YEW (p. 20) 
II. Trees with scalclike foliage. 
A. Scalclike leaves arranged end to end, forming flat sprays. 
The leaves one-eighth to one-fourth inch long, flat- 
tened or rounded. 
THE CEDARS (p. 19) 
B 
