Nicholas KrekelerDJM Ecological

ServicesCertified Arborist

#MW-4595A

Chapter 2.Chapter 2.Tree Identification Tree Identification

Nick_Krekeler@charter.net

Introduction

• Plant Classification system.

• Scientific names.

• Tree identification techniques.

Key Terms

Alternate Foliage Lobe Pinnate

Angiosperm Genus Monocotyledon Serrate

Class Gymnosperm Morphology Species

Conifer Identification key Nomenclature Specific epithet

Cultivar Kingdom Opposite Taxonomy

Dicotyledons Leaf apex Order Variety

Division Leaf base Palmate Whorled

Family Leaf margin Phylum

Gymnosperms “naked” seeds.Pine, Fir, Cypress, Juniper, and Spruce

Angiosperms

Monocotyledons

Dicotyledons

Plant Classification

• KingdomPlantae

• Division or PhylumMagnoliophyta

• ClassMagnoliopsida

• OrderSapindales

• FamilyFagaceae

• GenusQuercus

• Species epithetpalustris

Plant Nomenclature

• Nomenclature is the naming of plants.

Acer rubrum ‘Brandywine’

Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ‘Shademaster’

American Hornbeam, Blue

Beech, Ironwood, or Muscle wood?

Principles of Identification

• Morphology: Size, Shape, and Appearance of plant parts. AKA Tree Architecture. Study of this is Taxonomy.

Leaf and Bud Arrangement

opposite — leaves occurring in pairs at the nodesalternate — leaves arranged singly at intervals along the stems

whorled — leaves occurring three or more at a single node

Leaf Morphology

palmately compound — veins or lobes of a leaf radiating from a central point and petiole

pinnately compound — arrangement of leaflets attached laterally along the rachis of a compound leaf

compound leaf — a type of leaf that has three or more leaflets attached to a common stalk

Leaf Anatomy

Leaf Margins

entire — a leaf margin that is smooth without teeth or lobesundulate — a leaf margin that is wavyserrate — a leaf margin that has pointed teeth that are directed upwarddoubly serrate — a serrate leaf margin where the primary teeth support another set of teethcrenate — a leaf margin that has rounded teethlobed — a segmented leaf having pointed or rounded extensions separated by sinuses that do not extend more than halfway to the midribsinus — the space or indentation between the lobes of a leaf blade

Leaf Base

cuneate — wedge-shapedobtuse — roundedcordate — heart-shapedtruncate — squared or abruptly cut offoblique — asymmetrical, unequally sided

Leaf Apices

acute — slightly pointedacuminate — sharply pointedbristle-tipped — sharply pointed tiptruncate — squared or abruptly cut offobtuse — rounded

Bud Anatomy

Pith Characteristics

ChamberedSpongySolid

StarAngularRound

Bark Characteristics

• Think Texture…

• Think Texture

Fruit Types

berry — a simple, fleshy fruit, with seeds embedded in a pulpy mass (persimmon)drupe — a one-seeded, fleshy fruit with the seed inclosed in a stony wall (cherry, sugarberry, holly)capsule — a dry fruit which splits open into two or more parts at maturity (sourwood)legume — a dry fruit with two seams in the outer wall (black locust)nut — a hard-shelled, dry fruit, sometimes with a outer covering or husk (hickory, oak acorn, black walnut)dehiscent — the opening by slits or valves of an outer fruit coveringindehiscent — an outer fruit covering that does not open by slits or valvespome — a fleshy fruit, with seeds incased by a papery wall (apple)nutlet — a small nut (riverbirch)samara — a winged, one-cell, one-seeded, dry fruit (elm; double samara — maple)multiple — a fruit formed from several flowers into a single structure having a common axismultiple of capsules -- sweetgummultiple of follicles — magnoliamultiple of samaras — yellow-poplar, ashmultiple of nutlets — sycamore, birch

Tree Growth Forms

Excurrent Decurrent

Excurrent

Decurrent

Quiz Questions / Break

Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica

White ashFraxinus americana

Bald cypress Taxodium distichum

American basswoodTilia americana

River birch Betula nigra

Ohio BuckeyeAesculus glabra

Southern CatalpaCatalpa bignonioides

Black cherryPrunus serotina

Eastern cottonwoodPopulus deltoides

CrabappleMalus spp.

Flowering DogwoodCornus florida

American elmUlmus americana

Siberian elmUlmus pumila

Ginkgo, Maidenhair treeGinkgo biloba

Golden raintreeKoelreuteria paniculata

HackberryCeltis occidentalis

HawthornCrataegus spp.

Shagbark HickoryCarya ovata

HoneylocustGleditsia triacanthos

Kentucky coffeetreeGymnocladus dioicus

Littleleaf LindenTilia cordata

Black locustRobinia psuedoacacia

Amur mapleAcer ginnala

BoxelderAcer negundo

Norway mapleAcer platenoides

Red mapleAcer rubrum

Silver mapleAcer saccharinum

Sugar MapleAcer saccharum

MulberryMorus spp.

Bur oakQuercus macrocarpa

Northern red oakQuercus rubra

Pin oakQuercus palustris

Post oakQuercus stellata

Shumard oakQuercus shumardii

Swamp white oakQuercus bicolor

White oakQuercus alba

Osage orangeMaclura pomifera

Callery pearPyrus calleryana

PecanCarya illinoensis

PersimmonDiospyros virginiana

Austrian PinePinus nigra

Loblolly pinePinus taeda

Scotch pinePinus sylvestris

Shortleaf pinePinus echinata

Eastern white pinePinus strobus

Kingdom: PlantaeDivision: PinophytaClass: PinopsidaOrder: PinalesFamily: PinaceaeGenus: PinusSubgenus: StrobusSpecies: P. strobes

White poplarPopulus alba

Eastern redbudCercis canadensis

Eastern redcedarJuniperus virginiana

Colorado SprucePicea pungens

Norway sprucePicea abies

Sweetgum Liriodendron tulipifera

Black walnutJuglans nigra

Black willowSalix nigra

Western soapberrySapindus drummondi