CATS New Mexico Tree Identification 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which conifer native to New Mexico's high-elevation forests produces cones that open and close in response to moisture levels?
- Engelmann spruce (Correct answer)
- Blue spruce
- Subalpine fir
- Douglas-fir
Correct answer: Engelmann spruce
Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) cones are hygroscopic and open in dry conditions and close when wet, a key identification trait.
Question 2: The narrowleaf cottonwood (Populus angustifolia) differs from Fremont cottonwood most noticeably by its:
- Bark color
- Leaf shape — much narrower with fine teeth (Correct answer)
- Seed capsule size
- Root depth
Correct answer: Leaf shape — much narrower with fine teeth
Narrowleaf cottonwood has willow-like, lance-shaped leaves that are far narrower than the broad triangular leaves of Fremont cottonwood.
Question 3: Which oak species found in New Mexico's Chihuahuan Desert foothills is semi-evergreen and often grows as a shrubby thicket?
- Gambel oak
- Gray oak (Correct answer)
- Emory oak
- Silverleaf oak
Correct answer: Gray oak
Gray oak (Quercus grisea) is semi-evergreen, drought-adapted, and commonly forms dense brushy stands in southern New Mexico's desert grasslands.
Question 4: A large Southwestern tree with corky, deeply furrowed bark, pinnately compound leaves, and hanging clusters of papery winged seeds is most likely:
- Arizona ash
- Velvet ash
- Boxelder (Correct answer)
- Texas ash
Correct answer: Boxelder
Boxelder (Acer negundo) has pinnately compound leaves — unusual for a maple — and produces paired samaras in drooping clusters.
Question 5: Which pinyon species is dominant in the Two Grey Hills and Chaco Canyon areas of northwestern New Mexico?
- Single-leaf pinyon
- Colorado pinyon (Correct answer)
- Mexican pinyon
- Border pinyon
Correct answer: Colorado pinyon
Colorado pinyon (Pinus edulis) with its paired needles dominates the pinyon-juniper woodlands across northwestern New Mexico including the Chaco region.
Question 6: The Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa) is often confused with serviceberry in the field. Its most distinctive feature is:
- Blue-black berries in summer
- Feathery pink-tinted seed tails on achenes (Correct answer)
- Opposite branching pattern
- Milky sap from broken twigs
Correct answer: Feathery pink-tinted seed tails on achenes
Apache plume produces achenes with long, feathery, pink-to-white plumes that give the shrub a smoky or fluffy appearance after flowering.
Question 7: Which native elm found along New Mexico riparian corridors has distinctly asymmetrical leaf bases and double-serrate margins?
- Siberian elm
- American elm
- Slippery elm
- Cedar elm (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Cedar elm
Cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia) occurs along southeastern New Mexico waterways and is identified by its small, rough, double-toothed leaves with very uneven bases.
CATS New Mexico Tree Identification 2
Which conifer native to New Mexico's high-elevation forests produces cones that open and close in response to moisture levels?