Conifer researcher: The presence of scalloped tori in Cedrus is a unique feature within the Pinaceae family, distinguishing it from other genera in the subfamily Abietoideae. This unique anatomical characteristic, combined with Cedrus’s ability to form both axial and radial traumatic resin canals, supports its classification as the most basal genus in the family. Thus, Cedrus should be considered evolutionarily distinct from other members of Pinaceae.
Which one of the following would be most useful to know in order to evaluate the conifer researcher’s argument?
Answer: