How to Identify and Classify Spruce Trees
  • 1. What is the genus name for spruce trees?
A) Picea
B) Pinus
C) Abies
D) Larix
  • 2. Spruce needles are typically what shape?
A) Four-sided (quadrangular)
B) Round
C) Flat
D) Scale-like
  • 3. How are spruce needles attached to the twig?
A) On woody pegs (sterigmata)
B) In bundles
C) Directly to the twig
D) With a sheath
  • 4. Spruce cones typically hang in which direction?
A) Horizontal
B) Downward
C) Upward
D) At an angle
  • 5. Which of the following is a key characteristic of spruce cones?
A) They disintegrate on the tree
B) They release their scales individually
C) They remain on the tree for many years
D) They fall intact from the tree
  • 6. What is the color of needles for the blue spruce?
A) Light green
B) Bluish-green to silvery-blue
C) Dark green
D) Yellowish-green
  • 7. The scientific name for blue spruce is?
A) Picea pungens
B) Picea rubens
C) Picea mariana
D) Picea abies
  • 8. Which spruce species is known for its drooping branchlets?
A) Colorado Blue Spruce
B) Norway Spruce
C) White Spruce
D) Black Spruce
  • 9. The scientific name for Norway spruce is?
A) Picea sitchensis
B) Picea glauca
C) Picea abies
D) Picea mariana
  • 10. Which spruce is often found in boggy or swampy areas?
A) White Spruce
B) Serbian Spruce
C) Black Spruce
D) Red Spruce
  • 11. The scientific name for Black spruce is?
A) Picea rubens
B) Picea mariana
C) Picea pungens
D) Picea omorika
  • 12. What is a common characteristic of Red Spruce cones?
A) Dark purple color
B) Reddish-brown color
C) Bright blue color
D) Green color
  • 13. The scientific name for Red spruce is?
A) Picea rubens
B) Picea engelmannii
C) Picea sitchensis
D) Picea abies
  • 14. Which spruce has a strong, unpleasant odor when the needles are crushed?
A) White Spruce
B) Blue Spruce
C) Red Spruce
D) Norway Spruce
  • 15. The scientific name for White spruce is?
A) Picea mariana
B) Picea pungens
C) Picea glauca
D) Picea omorika
  • 16. Which spruce is native to the Pacific Northwest and is the largest spruce species?
A) Sitka Spruce
B) Red Spruce
C) White Spruce
D) Engelmann Spruce
  • 17. The scientific name for Sitka spruce is?
A) Picea rubens
B) Picea mariana
C) Picea sitchensis
D) Picea abies
  • 18. Engelmann Spruce is commonly found in which type of environment?
A) Coastal regions
B) Swamps
C) Deserts
D) High elevations
  • 19. The scientific name for Engelmann spruce is?
A) Picea sitchensis
B) Picea abies
C) Picea engelmannii
D) Picea glauca
  • 20. What is the growth habit of Serbian Spruce?
A) Broad and spreading
B) Weeping
C) Narrow and columnar
D) Rounded
  • 21. The scientific name for Serbian spruce is?
A) Picea pungens
B) Picea omorika
C) Picea abies
D) Picea mariana
  • 22. What does 'glauca' mean in botanical Latin?
A) Reddish
B) White
C) Bluish-green
D) Black
  • 23. What does 'pungens' mean in botanical Latin?
A) Sharp-pointed
B) Drooping
C) Fragrant
D) Small
  • 24. The presence of glaucous (bluish-white) bloom on needles helps identify which tree?
A) White Spruce
B) Blue Spruce
C) Black Spruce
D) Red Spruce
  • 25. Which is not a characteristic that helps identify trees?
A) Soil pH
B) Needle Shape
C) Bark Pattern
D) Cone Type
  • 26. What does 'sterigmata' refer to in spruce identification?
A) Cone scales
B) Woody pegs where needles attach
C) Bark ridges
D) Branchlets
  • 27. Which spruce has needles that are flattened in cross-section?
A) White Spruce
B) None, spruce needles are typically 4-sided
C) Blue Spruce
D) Red Spruce
  • 28. What bark color is commonly associated with mature Black Spruce?
A) Dark gray-brown
B) Whitish
C) Bright red
D) Light gray
  • 29. Which of these spruces is considered more shade-tolerant?
A) Blue Spruce
B) Sitka Spruce
C) Red Spruce
D) White Spruce
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