A KEY TO THE PINES
A. Sheaths of leaf-bundles soon shed; wood soft, pale. SOFT PINES. B. Needles, 5 in a bundle. C. Cones, 5 to 8 inches long; Eastern. White Pine. CC. Cones, 12 to 18 inches long; Western. Sugar Pine. BB. Needles fewer than 5 in a bundle; Western. Nut Pines. AA. Sheaths of leaf-bundles not soon shed; wood hard, heavy, dark, resinous. HARD PINES. B. Needles, 3 in a bundle. C. Length of needles, 8 to 18 inches; cones, 6 to 10 inches. Longleaf Pine. CC. Length of needles, 6 to 9 inches; cones, 3 to 5 inches. Loblolly Pine. CCC. Length of needles, 3 to 5 inches; cones, 1 to 3 inches. Pitch Pine. BB. Needles, 2 in a bundle; Northern. C. Length of needles, 4 to 6 inches; cones 2 inches. Red Pine. CC. Length of needles, 1 to 3 inches; cones, 2 to 3 inches. Jersey Pine. BBB. Needles, 2 or 3 in a bundle; Southern. C. Length of needles, 3 to 5 inches; cones, 1 to 3 inches. Shortleaf Pine. CC. Length of needles, 8 to 12 inches; cones, 3 to 6 inches. Cuban Pine.
A KEY TO THE SCALE-LEAVED EVERGREENS
A. Seeds borne in a woody cone; twigs flattened, leaves minute. Arbor Vitae. White Cedar. AA. Seeds borne in a fleshy, blue berry; leaves scale-like or spiny, or both. Juniper. Red Cedar.
A KEY TO THE NUT TREES
A. Nuts in a husk that opens when ripe. B. Husk opens in four divisions. C. Surface of husk, spiny. D. Nut three-angled, small, two in a husk. Beech. DD. Nut rounded, or flattened, 2 or 3 in a husk. Chestnut. CC. Surface of husk not spiny. Hickories. BB. Husk opens in three divisions. Horse-chestnuts and Buckeyes. BBB. Husk opens in two divisions; spiny. Chinquapin. A. Nuts in a husk that does not open when ripe. B. Shape of nut, globular; surface, smooth. Black Walnut. BB. Shape of nut, oblong; surface, clammy. Butternut.
A KEY TO THE GROUPS OF OAKS
A. Acorns, annual; bark usually pale; leaves with rounded lobes, not spiny-pointed. The White Oak Group. AA. Acorns, biennial; bark usually dark; leaves with spiny-pointed lobes. The Black Oak Group.
A KEY TO THE WHITE OAK GROUP
A. Leaves evergreen; Southern tree. Live Oak. AA. Leaves not evergreen. B. Lining of leaves pale, not downy; lobes finger-like. White Oak. BB. Lining of leaves pale, downy. C. Bark of branches corky-ridged; acorn large, in fringed cup. Bur Oak. CC. Bark of branches shed in rough flakes; acorns large, on long stalks. Swamp White Oak. CCC. Bark of branches not corky-ridged, nor scaly. D. Acorn medium-sized; leaf margins cut into squarish lobes. Post Oak. DD. Acorn large; leaf margins wavy; bark dark brown. Chestnut Oak.