Edible Sierra Nevada Plants 

K E Y S

I have taken extreme care in providing accurate information in these keys, however, there is always the possibility of errors. Use these keys at your own discretion.

If you do not know how to use the keys find out now, here.

To Dichotomous Key / Main Plant Index / Main Page


CONIFER GENERA 
A Leaves needle-like, usually more than 1 cm long
  B Needles in clusters of 2 or more - PINUS
  BB Needles single, never grouped in clusters
    C Fruit more or less fleshy,or if cone-like, disintegrating before falling
      D Shrub less than1 m high - JUNIPERUS COMMUNIS
      DD Trees mainlyover 5 m high
        E Fruitcone-like; common forest trees - ABIES (Not Edible)
        EEFruit nut-like, at least partly covered by a fleshy pericarp
         F Needles 1-2 cm long, not spine tipped; Calaveras County, north- TAXUS
         FF Needles 2.5-6 cm long, more or less spine tipped; Tulare to PlumasCounty - TORREYA

     CC Plants producing moreor less woody cones which hang below branches and fall intact
      D Cones more orless globose; with thick scales - PINUSMONOPHYLLA
      DD Cones oblong;with thin, delicate scales
         E Cones with notched bracts between scales - PSEUDOTSUGA
         EE Cones without bracts between scales - TSUGA

 AA Leaves scale-like, usually 1 cm long
  B Leaves less than 5 mm long, more or lesstriangular
    C Fruit fleshy, berry-like;bark fibrous; widespread - JUNIPERUS
    CC Fruit woody, cone-like;bark scaly; rare, Plumas County - CUPRESSUS (NotEdible)

   BB Leaves mainly 5 - 10 mm long, moreor less oblong to lanceolate
    C Leaves in flat sprays; conesoblong and splitting lengthwise - CALOCEDRUS
    CC Branchlets not flattened;cones globose opening into many scales - SEQUOIADENDRON(Not Edible)



To Dichotomous Key / Main Plant Index / Main Page

BackCountry Rangers