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The Beauty of the Trees & Shrubs in Farndon

Photographed, and compiled by

John Dodson – March 2010

Part 1- Trees With Alternate Leaves

(A to H)

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Definitions – Leaves 1 of 2

• Alternate – Leaves, first on one side of the

stem then the next leaf lower down on opposite

side.

• Compound – Leaf made up of a number of

leaflets on the one stalk similar to the Ash &

Horse-chestnut.

• Opposite – Leaves opposite each other on the

stem.

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Definitions – Leaves 2 of 2• Cordate – Heart shaped at base, pointed at tip, similar to the Lime.

• Elliptical – About 3 to 4 x longer than wide.

• Lanceolate – Long and narrow pointed at tip.

• Pinnate – Compound leaf similar to Ash.

• Obovate – Broadest part above the middle &tapering gradually to base, similar to a single leaflet of a Horse-chestnut.

• Oval - About 2 x longer than wide.

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Definitions - Flowers• Catkin – A spike of tiny flowers, usually all of one sex and found on trees or shrubs. Often male and female catkins are on separate trees as with Willows.

• Corymb – Flattish topped cluster with stalks originating from different points as in Rowan.

• Cyme – Terminal flower opens first followed by others, each further down the stem as in Spindle.

• Panicle – A branching raceme.

• Raceme – A spike with the lowest flower opening first with each flower on a small stem off central stem as in Bird Cherry.

• Umbel – Flattish topped cluster with stalks originating from the same point. Can be many of these making up an inflorescence as in Elder.

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Alternate Leaves(A to H)

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Alder – Alnus glutinosa

• Flower

•Left shows situation in November -

immature catkins and old seed heads.

•Mature catkins, right, appear Mar/Apr before leaves.

•Male catkins 2 - 6cm long

•Female flowers, small, stalked & reddish brown.

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Alder – Alnus glutinosa

• Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf – Alternate, 3 – 9cm. long, rounded & toothed

– Note left - evidence of small green fruit forming with leaves.

• Fruit – July, green fruit approx. 1cm. diameter –

green immature male catkins also starting to form for next

year. Inset - Mature brown/black seed cones.

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Apple, Crab – Malus silvestris

• Flower

• Apr/May, with leaf. White umbels with a pink flush

in bud, 5 petals up to 6cm. dia.

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Apple, Crab – Malus silvestris

• Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf – Alternate, 3 – 9cm. long, oval, pointed, toothed,

& hairless.

• Fruit – Acrid, globular, apple shaped, but only up to 2cm. dia., yellow to red flushed.

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Aspen – Populus tremula(belongs to Willow Family)

• Flower/Fruit – (Male catkin shown)

•Flower, Mar/Apr before leaves.

As with Poplar & Willow –

male and female catkins, on separate

trees 5 to 10cm. long.

•Male catkin, shown, has deeply cut bracts and densely

whiskered with reddish stamens becoming paler. Female catkin

is similar to male but has purple stigmas and produces very

small seed covered in soft cottony hairs.

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Aspen – Populus tremula (belongs to Willow Family)

• Leaf

•Leaf – Alternate, with flattened leaf stalk causing the

characteristic leaf fluttering in the breeze. 3 – 8cm. across oval,

lobed, & hairless when mature.

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Beech, Common – Fagus sylvatica

• Leaf Bud/Flower

• Leaf Bud – April - Brown cigar shaped, pointed tip.

• Flower (right) – April/May with leaves. Male catkins

(right of cluster), circular, approx. 1cm. dia, tassel

like, on long stalks. Female (left of cluster), often in

pairs surrounded by scaly cup.

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Beech, Common – Fagus sylvatica

• Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf – Alternate, 4 – 9cm. long, oval, glossy,

pointed, weakly toothed. Silky hair when young,

hairless when mature.

• Fruit – Sept/Oct, 1 or 2 together, with 4 lobed

bristly shell containing 3 sided nuts 1-2cm. long.

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Birch, Silver – Betula pendula

• Flower

• Apr/May, with leaves. Male catkins 5 – 7cm. long,

female catkins 2 to 3cm. long.

• Silvery bark on trunk with deep black fissures particularly near base of tree.

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Birch, Silver – Betula pendula

• Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf - Alternate, 4 – 7cm. long, triangular, double toothed, hairless.

• Fruit – Sept/Oct - Made up of many layers of circular transparent, winged seed cases, approx. 6mm. dia. Note - immature male catkins for next year.

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Blackthorn – Prunus spinosa

• Flower

• April, before leaves. White, 5 petals, 5 - 8mm. dia.

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Blackthorn – Prunus spinosa

• Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf – Alternate, 2 – 4cm. long, elliptical, pointed, toothed, & dull green on dark brown/black stems where side shouts

develop sharp tips.

• Fruit - Blue/black with grey bloom. Very astringent,

10 – 15mm. dia.

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Cherry, Bird – Prunus padus

• Flower

• May, after leaves. White flowers, in long erect or

drooping racemes. Each flower, 8 to 15mm. dia.

has 5 petals.

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Cherry, Bird – Prunus padus

• Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf – Alternate, 5 - 10cm. long, elliptical, pointed, toothed, with two small knobs/glands at leaf base, see

Wild Cherry but less pronounced.

• Fruit – July/Aug, black, up to 1cm. dia, bitter flesh

covering a single furrowed stone.

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Cherry, Wild - Prunus avium

• Flower

• April/May, with leaves. White umbels, with no

common stalk, 5 petals up to 2cm. dia.

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Cherry, Wild - Prunus avium

• Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf (Centre & Right) – Alternate, 6 - 15cm. long, elliptical, pointed, double-toothed, & hairless above,

with 2 red knobs/glands at base.

• Fruit – July, pale yellow, ripening to red/black up to

1.5cm. dia, bitter sweet flesh covering single pale stone.

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Chestnut, Sweet - Castanea sativa

• Flower / Leaf

• Leaf - Alternate 10 – 25cm. long, lanceolate, shiny,

pointed, with large pointed teeth.

• Flower – July, male catkins 12 – 20cm. long, female

flowers spiky/scaly at base of catkins.

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Chestnut, Sweet - Castanea sativa

• Fruit

• Oct, shiny brown edible

nuts, 2 – 3cm. long carried

in brownish/yellow spiky

4 lobed shell.

• Note remnants of stigma

on end of nut.

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Elm, Wych – Ulmus glabra

• Flower

• Mar/Apr, before leaves. Many flowered clusters

up to 2cm. across. Immature green cased

seeds also before leaves.

• Hermaphrodite with individual flowers up to

4mm long.

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Elm, Wych – Ulmus glabra

• Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf - Alternate, 7 – 16cm. long, oval, pointed,

rough and toothed. Not symmetrical at base.

• Fruit - May/Jun in clusters – up to 2.5cm long.

Fruit fall as early as July. Seed central in circular

‘wing’.

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Hawthorn, Com. – Crataegus monogyna

• Flower

• May/June, with leaves. Corymbs, of individual

white flowers, 5 petals, 8 – 12mm. dia.

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Hawthorn, Com. – Crataegus monogyna

• Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf – Alternate, 3 – 6cm. long with 3 – 7 lobes

and thorny stems.

• Fruit (haw) – Sept/Oct, red, shiny, 8 – 10mm. dia.

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Hazel – Corylus avellana

• Flower

• Left – Jan/Feb, before leaves, male catkins

appear 2 – 8cm. long.

• Right – Female flowers up to 5mm. long

with red stigmas.

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Hazel – Corylus avellana

• Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf – Alternate, 5 – 12cm. rounded often with

drawn out point, double toothed, downy. Hairy stalk.

• Fruit - Sept/Oct, in clusters of 1 – 4, 1.5 – 2cm. long

in brown woody shell surrounded by greeny/brown

bract (involucre) divided into pointed lobes.

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Holly – Ilex aquifolium

• Flower

• May/Jun after leaves. Male & female on separate

trees. Male shown - small, white, pink flushed

flowers with 4 petals, clustered in leaf axils. Female

similar but with prominent green ovary and no

stamens.

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Holly – Ilex aquifolium

• Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf – Alternate, 3 – 9cm. long, dark green, stiff,

leathery, & pointed with sharp spines.

• Fruit – Sept/Oct, round shiny red berry 7 – 10cm.

dia. containing 4 (rarely 5) seeds.

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Hornbeam – Carpinus betulus

• Flower

• May/June, with leaves. Left -male catkins, 3 - 6cm.

long, with oval greenish bracts.

• Right - female catkins in flower up to 3cm. long at

end of shoots. Each flower has a 3-lobed involucre.

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Hornbeam – Carpinus betulus

• Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf – Alternate, 5 – 11cm. long, oval, pointed, toothed, hairless above, with very prominent veins.

• Fruit – Oct, loose hanging clusters up to 15cm. long. Seed, green, maturing to brown, flat & oval at base of

3-lobed involucre/bract.