Identifying Broadleaved Trees in Winter

Transcription

1 Identifying Broadleaved Trees in Winter Photo Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research

2 Identifying winter trees Some features that can be used to identify winter trees are: Buds these can change between the autumn and spring Twigs Bark (this not a great ID feature for many trees as can vary with age) Leaf scars Fruits and seeds (autumn) Growth form of tree and branching pattern Use as many of the features as possible don t rely on just one Look at a number of twigs/buds from the tree you are trying to identify not just one or two

3 All photos Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research Ash keys Fruits and seeds Sycamore Sweet chestnut SSF FR Remnants of ash keys Norway maple field maple ash Plane fruits

4 Buds and Twigs Bud arrangement: alternate, opposite or spiralling Bud shape e.g. oval, conical, pointed or blunt Bud colour The presence or absence of hairs on buds The presence or absence of bud scales The size of buds in relation to the twigs The shape and colour of twigs The presence or absence of leaf scars Presence or absence of hairs on twigs

5 All photos Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research Bud arrangement Terminal bud single Terminal buds clustered buds opposite buds alternate buds spiralling

6 Buds and twigs Leaf stalk Lateral bud Bud scale scars Lenticels (Small bumps; gas exchange) Terminal bud Leaf scar Last years growth Bud scales Leaf scar All photos Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research

7 All photos Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research X 10 is usually enough X 20 Swanky ones with lights Phonescopes Hand lenses Hold lens to eye - move subject towards it

8 Glossary Adpressed Held tightly against the twig Alternate An arrangement of buds on a twig when individual buds are spaced along the twig at regular intervals alternating either side Bud scales Leafy plates which form a protective covering on a bud Catkins flowers of alders, birches and hazels Crocodile back gnarled appearance of twigs from trees such as elm, field maple and liquidamber Lateral buds Buds present on the sides of a twig Leaf scar - a mark just below the bud left on a twig when the leaf falls Lenticels gas exchange structures; can be spots or lines Opposite - An arrangement of buds on a twig when individual buds face each other on opposite sides of the twig forming individual pairs Spiralling - An arrangement of buds on a twig when individual buds are spaced along a twig at regular intervals in a spiralling pattern Terminal bud The bud growing right on the end of the twig

9 Your answers number Tree species

10 All photos Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) 30 m tall Buds are opposite, large, brown and sticky Large leaf scars in a horse shoe shape incl. studs Fruits - conkers within fleshy green spiky cases Adrian Hill knowing and drawing trees

11 All photos Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research Adrian Hill knowing and drawing trees Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) 30 m tall Buds are opposite, green and egg shaped with a pointed end. Single terminal bud The edges of the bud scales are purple and lined with fringe of golden eyelashes Twigs paired - green when young then light brown 2 winged fruits at 90 degrees to each other with plump rounded seeds

12 All photos Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research Adrian Hill knowing and drawing trees Oak (Quercus robur and Q. petraea) Buds spiralling Terminal buds in groups Buds orangey colour with many bud scales 30 m tall Fruits/seeds Acorns in acorn cups Bark - regular network of vertical furrows Q. robur acorns on stalks, leaves sessile SSF FR Q. petraea acorns sessile, leaves on stalks

13 FC John Williams Photo Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research Rowan (Mountain ash) (Sorbus aucuparia) 15 m tall Buds alternate, dark purple, long, slender and hairy with one sided point. Lateral buds often on short stalks Fruits bright red and look like miniature apples size of holly berries Twigs grey or brown, upward growing, smooth, can have long hairs

14 Ash Adrian Hill knowing and drawing trees (Fraxinus excelsior) Black, opposite/offset buds on green or grey twigs Ends of shoots curl upwards Fruits are single keys in bunches m tall All photos Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research

15 Field maple (Acer campestris) Photo FC booklet No 20 9 m tall All photos Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research unless otherwise stated Buds opposite, brown with white hairy scale edges Twigs light brown, slender, straight, slightly hairy, crocodile back when older Fruits 2 winged set at 180 deg to each other with flat seeds. In bunches

16 Adrian Hill knowing and drawing trees Lime (Tilia spp) Buds alternate, red/purple and bluntly rounded Twigs very red (when young), smooth and waxy/shiny looking. Lenticels noticeable Fruit clusters of green or brown capsules with single brown wing (bract) All photos Forestry Commission

17 Silver birch and downy birch (betula pendula + B. pubescens) Whitish bark with black diamond shaped cracks Buds alterrnate, small, shiny, pointed Slender purple twigs with catkins Weeping habit for silver birch No weeping for downy birch Warts but no hairs on twigs for silver birch Hairs but no warts on twigs for downy birch Birch species can hybridise FC m tall Adrian Hill knowing and drawing trees Catkins All photos Forestry Commission

18 Elder (Sambucus nigra) Lenticels Pith Photo Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research Buds opposite, red/brown ragged/untidy looking Twigs yellowish brown with obvious lenticels Twigs often brittle and containing white pith

19 Adrian Hill knowing and drawing trees Common Walnut (Juglans regia) Segmented pith 30 m tall Buds spiralling/alternate, oval purple/black and velvety Large distinctive horseshoe/heart shaped leaf scars Twigs green/bronze when young dark brown later Central pith is segmented Fruits/seeds walnuts within green, fleshy husks All photos Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research

20 All photos Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) 30 m tall Adrian Hill knowing and drawing trees Bark can spiral as shown in drawing above Buds alternate and sit on shelves Buds yellow/green to pinky brown Twigs have light coloured and noticeable lenticels - looks warty Young shoots are angular with ridges Fruit/seeds Spiny fruit case with sweet chestnuts within

21 All photos Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research unless otherwise stated Adrian Hill knowing and drawing trees London plane (Platanus x acerifolia) Buds alternate, conical/rounded and red/brown Leaf scar almost entirely circling buds Twigs olive green grey when young becoming twisted later Fruits/seeds stalked, spherical, with individual seeds and bristly hairs visible 30 m tall Forestry Commission Plane Fruit clusters in winter Bark mottled and peeling in patches

22 All photos Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research FC John Williams Norway maple (Acer platanoides) m tall Bark lightly fissured Buds opposite, deep red/brown but not hairy Terminal bud can be paired Lateral buds can be on stalks Twigs light brown, thin and hairless when young Fruits in bunches 2 winged with flat seeds. Look like a droopy moustache!

23 All photos Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, Forest Research Beech (Fagus sylvatica) Adrian Hill knowing and drawing trees 30 m tall Smooth, grey bark Beech nuts Buds alternate, pointed and brown with large scales Twigs have a zig zag shape, hairy, lenticels, purpley brown Seeds (beech nuts) within a hairy, 4 lobed seed case

24 Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) 20 m tall Adrian Hill knowing and drawing trees Buds alternate, long, bluntly pointed and held against the twig or slightly curled Twigs brown and slightly hairy Fruits/seeds ribbed nutlets hanging in clusters Bark smooth, grey and fluted Forestry Commission

25 How did you do? number Tree species 1 Horse chestnut 2 Sycamore 3 English oak 4 Rowan / mountain ash 5 Ash 6 Field maple 7 Lime 8 Silver or downy birch 9 Elder 10 Common walnut 11 Sweet chestnut 12 Plane 13 Norway maple 14 Beech 15 Hornbeam