Manitoba Conifers

There are ten species of conifers native to Manitoba. Seven species belong to the Pine family and three species belong to the Cypress family. Eight of the Manitoba conifers are trees while two are shrubs.

1. Cypress Family - members can be distinguished from the Pines in that they have very small scale-like leaves, or, if leaves are needle-like, the ovulate cone develops into a blue fruit-like berry when mature.
   
   
   1. White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) - occurs widely in swampy areas of the province. The leaves are small, scale-like, closely appressed and the cones are small and made up of 8-12 scales. The crown of the tree does not end in a pointed apex, but is somewhat rounded.
   
   
   2. Junipers - two species of Juniper are found in all parts of the province, and usually in drier areas. Creeping Savin Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) and Common Juniper (Juniperus communis) are both low-growing shrubs and are easily identified by their blue, berry-like cones. The flavouring for Gin is derived from Juniper berries.
   
   
2. Pine Family - represented by four genera, Pine (Pinus), Larch (Larix), Spruce (Picea) and Fir (Abies).
   
   
   1. Pines - have clusters of 2-5 needle-like leaves on short shoots.
      1. Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) - the most common pine in the province. Leaves are 5 cm long and occur in clusters of 2. It is found in dry habitats throughout the forested areas of the province.
      2. Red or Norway Pine (Pinus resinosa) - leaves are 7-18 cm long, and occur in clusters of 2. It is found in the south-eastern part of the province in dry habitats.
      3. White Pine (Pinus strobus) - leaves occur in clusters of five. It is found only in the extreme south east corner of the province in dry habitats.
      
      
   2. Larch or Tamarack (Larix laricina) - the only native conifer which is deciduous. The needle-like leaves turn yellow in the fall and drop off. New leaves appear in the spring in clusters on short shoots. It is a common species in wet forested areas of the province.
   
   
   3. Spruces - conical in shape, that is, the crown terminates in a sharp apex, and the short needle-like leaves appear to be arranged spirally along the stem. White spruce (Picea glauca) occurs in highland areas, while Black Spruce (Picea mariana) generally occurs in a low-lying swampy terrain.
   
   
   4. Firs - Balsam fir (Abies balsamea) is native to Manitoba. The leaves are flat, softer than those of spruce and appear to be arranged in two rows along the stem. The bark is more or less smooth with blisters containing a sticky fluid or pitch. It is common in moist areas of the mixed forest.

*** Make sure you are able to identify the above mentioned species using the dicotomous key provided in your lab manual. ***

For the assignment identify the Manitoba Conifer shown below. - This is the species labeled C