A key for the identification of stomata of the native conifers of Scandinavia

In Scandinavia there are four extant native conifers (Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, Juniperus communis and Taxus baccata). Larix sibirica has been found as a Holocene fossil in the mountains of central Scandinavia, and as an earlier interglacial fossil. Abies alba may have occurred earlier in the Quaternary. A key for identifying the stomata of these conifers has been prepared for both complete and incomplete stomata. This has been achieved through measurements of reference stomata from fresh needles prepared in the same way as fossil pollen and a canonical variate analysis on the resulting data. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.