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Key to the Gymnosperms of the Southeastern U.S.
Illustrated with Specimens from the University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU)
Stephen M. Seiberling and Brenda L. Wichmann

	Deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara)

The Key to the Gymnosperms of the Southeastern U.S. enables you to identify gymnosperm species that are native, naturalized, or commonly planted throughout the southeastern States. The key relies mostly on characteristics of leaves or needles, but in some instances calls for examination of twigs, cones, or other structures.

How to Use the Key:

• Evaluate the choices presented on a given page of the key by comparing the alternative descriptions and illustrations.
• Check the meaning of botanical terms using the links to definitions in the lower right portion of each page.
• Decide which description best fits the characteristics of your plant, and click it to advance in the key.
• Double check previous choices you've made at any point by viewing the list displayed on the lower left side of the page. (Clicking on a previous choice returns you to the point where that choice was made.)
• On pages where the magnifying glass icon  appears, examine features of your specimen using a hand lens.

Images: You can check which botanical feature(s) an image is intended to portray by placing the mouse pointer on the image to display a brief description. Please note that most of the images in the key were taken from dried herbarium specimens and, as a result, often differ in color from those of live plants.

Click the following for details about the key and its use, for a list of sources consulted, or for a text version of the key in Adobe Acrobat® format.

Start identifying Southeastern gymnosperms....