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Narrative
Gymnosperms are a group of trees and bushes usually characterized by needles and the production of cones to support the seeds. Most species are evergreen. (The actual technical definition has to do with the method of producing the seed.)
There are over 600 species of Gymnosperms known to science. The largest genus in this group in terms of species is the Pine genus with about 120 species. The second most common genus is the Podocarpus genus which is normally a more tropical group than the Pines.
Kartesz lists 135 species as growing in greater North America, including Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Taxonomy
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Latin
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English
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Kingdom
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Plantae
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Plant
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Phylum
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Embryophyta
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Seed Plants
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Class
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Gymnospermae
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Conifers & Allies
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Order
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Family
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SubFamily
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References
| Title | Author | Comments |
| Conifers | Rushforth, Keith | This book covers the Gymnosperms of the world. Over 600 different species are described and their natural ranges are given. Gingko, Junipers, Pines, Spruces, and Firs are included in this very useful book. |
| Wild Fowers of North Carolina | Justice, William S. | This work displays 408 different species in color that are found in the southeastern United States. This is a very useful identification guide. Although this was intended to be a field guide, its value is beyond the traditional field guide. |
| Alaska Wild Flowers | Sharples, Ada White | Although this book contains black and white photographs, its value lies in the text which references many of the wild flower species with associated descriptions found in Alaska; 163 species are pictured. |
| Plants and Flowers - Simon and Shuster's Guide | Perry, Frances | With over 500 full color illustrations, this book covers plants that are frequently grown both indoors and outside. Although originally published in Europe, this edition has been adapted for North America. This book is organized by plant category. For example, such categories as indoor plants, shrubs and bushes, climbing plants, and rock garden plants are included. |
| Common Plants of the Mid-Atlantic Coast - A Field Guide | Silberhorn, Gene M. | The black and white line drawings suffice to identify those species of plants growing along the coast. |
| Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Northeastern and North Central North America | Peterson, Roger Tory | This field guide covers 1,293 species which are illustrated with 1,344 line drawings some of which have been colored. The area covered is from Quebec to Minnesota and south to Missouri and Virginia. This work is a most useful book for identification of weeds and wildflowers of the eastern United States. The line drawings highlight the features that separate similar species and the species are grouped by flower color and flower shape. This work stands in tribute to the genius of Roger Tory Peterson. |
| Newcomb's Wildflower Guide | Newcomb, Lawrence | Wildflowers, Shrubs, and Vines of northeastern and north central North America are covered. 1,375 different species are covered. |
| Western Trees | Petrides, George A. | Nearly 400 species of native trees and shrubs found in the western United States and Canada are pictured and described. |
| Trees of Georgia and Adjacent states | Brown, Claud L. | This book covers 205 species of trees found in Georgia and adjacent states. This book is very useful in that it provides a list with text and supporting pictures of the tress of the area. |
| The Color Dictionary of Shrubs | Gault, S. Millar | With about 500 color pictures of various shrubs this gardeners book is an aid to planning a garden. This book can also ber used for identifying various shrubs and bushes. |
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