NATIVE TREE IDENTIFICATION

Transcription

1 NATIVE TREE IDENTIFICATION P L A N T I N F H S V B G. O R G Instructor: Tracy Cook Assistant Curator

2 INTRODUCTION Why these trees? These are the most common trees you will see on hikes in the mountains around Huntsville. Structure of the class Objectives: 1. Learn what to look for, and the terminology used in field guides 2. Identify trees to at least the genus level Caveats: Tree ID is usually 6 hours per week for 30 weeks Philosophy Look before deciding you don t know what a tree is. Perspective: 6,500 7,000 spp. of birds worldwide; approx. 250,000 spp. of vascular plants worldwide

3 TOOLS & RESOURCES Field Guides Peterson s, Audubon, National Wildlife Foundation, etc. Tree Bark ID website: Eek! Tree Key: (for kids) Google Images (use scientific name if possible to eliminate a lot of gibberish) Clipboard with rubber band Plastic baggies (quart or gallon size) Hand lens Binoculars or camera Knife or pruners

4 PLANT CLASSIFICATION & ID Binomial nomenclature Generic name (Genus) example: Quercus Specific epithet (species) example: alba Scientific name example: Quercus alba L. Common name example: White Oak (can be confusing) ID Techniques Leaves/buds Flowers/buds Bark/Twigs Fruit Habitat/Range Habit or Form

5 What do you call a cat that climbs to the top of a tree? Branch Manager! DIAGNOSTIC CHARACTERISTICS WHAT TO LOOK FOR

6 DICHOTOMOUS KEY simplified example: evergreen or deciduous alternate or opposite branching Opposite Tulip Poplar Flowering Dogwood Alternate simple or compound leaf lobed or non-lobed leaf (probably a Maple) bark type leaf margins, and so on

7 LEAF TYPES ID Techniques Leaf: arrangement, shape, size, color, texture, odor, variability Flowers: arrangement, type, size, color, timing Bark/Twigs: thickness, type, color, texture, pattern, variability Fruit: arrangement, type, size, color, timing Habitat/Range: where it grows of entire tree Image Credit: Wikipedia Habit or Form: overall shape

8 LEAF TYPES: SIMPLE Simple Leaf midrib Simple, entire, elliptical-obovate (Black Tupelo) petiole Axillary bud Simple, entire, cordate (Eastern Redbud) Simple, entire, 4-lobed (Tulip Poplar) Simple, serrate, 3-lobed (Red Maple)

9 LEAF TYPES: COMPOUND Odd, pinnately compound, 5-7 opposite leaflets serrated margins (Shagbark Hickory) Odd, pinnately compound, 7-9 alternate leaflets (Yellowwood) Odd, palmately compound, 5-leaflets (American Buckeye)

10 BEYOND LEAVES Leaves are only one piece of the puzzle. Even during dormancy, leaf arrangement can be seen Some species are distinguished by leaf scar Acronym for opposite leaf arrangement: Mad Crazy Horse! Maple Ash Dogwood Crazy = Caprifoliaceae Horse Chestnut = Buckeye a cappella, anyone? Image Credit:

11 alternate opposite whorled BARK HOW DO Y OU TELL A DOGWOOD? BY IT S B ARK!

12 BARK TYPES: RIDGE & FURROW Quecus falcata Southern Red Oak Fraxinus pennsilvanica Green Ash Liriodendron tulipifera Tulip Poplar

13 BARK TYPES: PLATELET Cornus florida Flowering Dogwood Pinus taeda Loblolly Pine Diospyros virginiana Persimmon

14 BARK TYPES: SMOOTH Approximately 90% of trees can be identified by bark alone at least to the genus level. Fagus grandifolia American Beech Prunus serotina Black Cherry (juvenile) Carpinus caroliniana American Hornbeam

15 BARK TYPES: SCALY Prunus serotina Black Cherry (mature) Carya ovata Shagbark Hickory

16 FRUIT Image Credit: Illustration by Robert O Brien, curtesy of Texas A&M Forest Service

17 FRUIT TYPES: SAMARA Acer negundo Boxelder Fraxinus pennsilvanica Green Ash Ptelea trifoliata Common Hoptree

18 FRUIT TYPES: DRUPE A drupe is a stone fruit, like a peach... Cornus florida Flowering Dogwood Nyssa sylvatica Black Tupelo Halesia tetraptera Carolina Silverbell Ilex opaca American Holly

19 FRUIT TYPES: CAPSULE Liquidambar styraciflua Sweetgum Aesculus glabra American Buckeye

20 FRUIT TYPES: CONE Pinus taeda Loblolly Pine Taxodium ascendens Pond Cypress Pinus echinata Shortleaf Pine Juniperus virginiana Eastern Redcedar Tsuga canadensis Canadian Hemlock

21 FRUIT TYPES: BERRIES Callicarpa americana Beautyberry Diospyros virginiana Persimmon Vaccinium arboreum Sparkleberry

22 REFERENCES Kershner B., Mathews D., Nelson G., and Spellenberg R National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America. New York, NY: Stirling Publishing Co., Inc. Ponder, H. and Montague, D Ornamental Horticulture Plant Identification Manual. Auburn, AL: Speedy Printing, East University Dr., Auburn, AL. Missouri Botanical Garden Staff Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder. Retrieved from URL earch.aspx Little E National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees, Eastern Region. New York, NY: Chanticleer Press, Inc. Kirkman L., Brown C., and Leopold D Native Trees of the Southeast. Portland, OR: Timber Press, Inc. (In order of relative contribution)