Download KEY FOR BROADLEAVED SPECIES

KEY FOR BROADLEAVED SPECIES
Leaves compound, consisting of several distinct leaflets growing from the leaf stalk.
Leaves with lobes or deep indentations around the margins.
Leaves simple, without lobes or deep indentations.
2
3
7
d
Evergreen with glossy dark green, hard, leaves; 6–8 cm long, in lower parts of crown with
6–8 spreading, sharp, yellowish spines.
Holly
(Ilex aquifolium)
e
Leaves digitate with 5–7 long (to 20 cm) stalkless leaflets. Large buds, sticky in Spring.
Spectacular flowers and ‘conkers’.
Horse chestnut
(Aesculus
hippocastanum)
1a
b
c
2a
Leaves and leaflets opposite. Leaflets usually more than 6 cm. long. Bark light coloured,
smooth at first, becoming evenly and shallowly fissured in older trees. Buds black and
velvety. Seed winged.
b
Leaves alternate, leaflets opposite, regularly toothed, not more than 6 cm. long. Flowers
white, fruits red. Small tree to 15 m.
3a
Leaves longer than broad and lobed, usually arising in clusters at the ends of twigs. Bark
evenly fissured. Crown large. Bears acorns.
Leaf about as broad as long with 5 (occasionally 3) lobes pointing outwards. Leaves
opposite. Seeds winged and in pairs.
Leaves similar to (b) but alternate, often with fewer than 5 lobes
Leaves wedge-shaped at base; petiole long, 1–2.5 cm. Acorns in clusters of 2–6, on very
short stalks of 5–10 mm.
b
c
4a
Leaf stalk to 15 cm, leaf 12 x 15 cm, similar to (a) except leaf is thin textured, bright, shiny
green, with finely pointed lobes and teeth.
Norway maple
Acer platanoides)
c
Leaf stalk to 5 cm; leaf to 8 x 12 cm, teeth rounded. Usually a small tree, rarely to 20 m.
Field maple
(A. campestre)
Wild service tree
(Sorbus torminalis)
Leaves with 3–5 pairs of lobes, rather like a maple, but alternate, 10 x 8 cm. Buds globular.
b
Leaves of sucker shoots and ends of long shoots deeply palmately 5-lobed, those of short
shoots almost circular, broadest below the middle. All leaves persistently hairy white
beneath. Petioles flattened.
Leaf tips broadly rounded or slightly indented, 10 x 7 cm, margin slightly wavy, irregularly
and very shallowly toothed, dark green, with 7 pairs of veins. Buds on 3 mm stalks.
Female catkins hard and cone-like. Generally found near streams or in damp places.
7a
b
8a
b
9a
b
c
Leaf tips pointed.
Leaves very hairy and roughened above.
Leaves smooth, or at least not roughened above.
Bark smooth, silvery for many years, becoming darker and ridged with age. Leaves quite
large shouldered with abrupt long points, 10–18 cm x 6–9 cm, very unequal at base, c. 17
pairs of veins, very harshly hairy above. Leaf stalks short (<3 mm), hairy, thick.
Leaves variable in shape and size but oblique at base, short pointed, very double toothed,
often curled or puckered, harshly hairy above, 10–12 pairs of veins, petiole 5 mm. Due to
Dutch elm disease, only small trees growing from suckers, usually in hedgerows.
A tall broad bush as coppice and undershrub. Bark smooth, light grey to coppery brown,
often peeling. Young shoots and leaf stalks densely hairy, and hairs have swollen tips.
Leaves almost circular, 10 x 10 cm, heart-shaped at base, sharp, triangular, unequal teeth
which are themselves serrated, very hairy. Produces hazel nuts.
(c) Sylva Foundation 2010
Ash
Rowan
5—Maples
6
Sessile oak
(Quercus petraea)
b
6a
Holly
4—Oaks
Pedunculate oak
(Q. robur)
5a
lower
crown
Ash
(Fraxinus
excelsior)
Rowan
(Sorbus aucuparia)
Leaves with auricles at base; petiole short, 3–7 mm. Acorns in clusters of 2–3, on long
stalk of 4–8 cm.
(Intermediate forms between these two sometimes occur, indicating hybrids).
Leaf stalks often red, to 15 cm; leaf up to 18 x 26 cm, with three main lobes and two minor
basal lobes; very coarsely and unevenly toothed; leathery and dark. A large tree to >30 m.
b
upper
crown
Pedunculate
oak
Sessile oak
Horse
chestnut
Sycamore (Acer
pseudoplatanus)
Sycamore
Field maple
Norway
maple
under
surface
White poplar
(Populus alba)
Alder (Alnus
glutinosa)
8
9
10
Alder
Wild service
tree
White poplar
Wych elm
(Ulmus glabra)
English elm
(U. procera)
Wych elm
Hazel
(Corylus avellana)
www.SYLVA.org.uk
Hazel
English
elm
Page 2 of 4
10a
b
c
d
11a
b
c
12a
b
13a
b
14a
b
c
15a
b
c
d
e
16a
b
Leaves almost circular in outline.
Leaves almost triangular in outline.
Leaves oval to oblong in outline.
Leaves at least four times as long as broad.
Leaves large (to 15 x 15 cm), oblique at base, heart shaped, abruptly pointed at tip;
serrated edges, only hairy on veins on both sides; leaf stalk coarsely hairy at first. Twig
ends and buds crimson; buds with two unequal outer scales, appearing ‘humped’.
Leaves to 5 x 5 cm, undersides with prominent buff or orange tufts of hairs in axils, leaf paler
beneath than (a), leaf stalk hairless.
(Hybids between these two species of limes—T. x europaea—are commonly planted)
Leaves not as above.
Leaf margin crinkled, teeth blunt.
Leaf margin flat, teeth pointed.
Bark grey and smooth, with conspicuous rhomboidal lenticels. Leaves rounded, coarsely
toothed with up to 10 teeth, hairless, up to 6 cm long, broadest about the middle, often
broader than long; petiole up to 6 cm strongly compressed laterally allowing leaves to
tremble. Tree to 20 m, suckers freely
Similar to (a) but leaves coarsely toothed with c. 4–6 obtuse, triangular teeth each side,
greyish-white hairs generally persistent.
Shoot roughened by raised white warts. Leaves 3–7 cm, pointed; six pairs of veins to
protruding pointed teeth that are separated by 2–3 small triangular teeth. Leaf stalk 1.5 cm
and hairless. Bark often white or silver, smooth in young trees. A small tree on light soils.
Similar to (a) except that shoots are covered in short, soft, shiny white hairs, leaves more
rounded and uniformly toothed, leaf stalk densely hairy. Bark brown. Grows on damp
soils.
(Intermediate forms between these two birches sometimes occur, indicating hybrids).
Bark dark and fissured. Leaves pointed, 5–10 cm, with narrow translucent borders and
numerous (c. 20) forward-curved, hooked teeth; petiole 3–6 cm, flattened laterally. Trunk
and larger branches often with large burrs.
Bark always smooth and pale grey in colour. Buds red-brown, long (2 cm) and pointed.
Leaves oval, hairless except on margins, 4–9 cm long with wavy margin and short teeth at
the ends of 6–7 veins each side. Often a large tree. Characteristic seeds (‘mast’) and
seed cups.
Leaves 3–10 cm long with about 15 pairs of parallel veins, and finely and sharply double
toothed, otherwise very similar to beech. Bark light grey, often fluted. Branches ascending
o..
at 20–30
Leaf ovate, usually 8 x 5 cm, irregularly shallowly toothed. W hen mature, yellow-green
above but densely hairy and pure white beneath.
Bark smooth, often shiny, reddish, with prominent bands of pale lenticels; can be peeled in
horizontal strips. Leaves to 10 cm long x 4.5–7 cm wide with short points and sharp
forward-pointing teeth. Leaf stalk grooved, red above, with 2–5 glands near leaf base.
Bark with fissures tending to spiral round trunk in older trees. Leaves large, 15–20 cm long
x c. 10 cm wide, hard, glossy dark green with about 20 prominent, parallel main veins each
side each ending in a large, abruptly spined tooth, elongated, with pointed apex, and
pronounced saw-tooth edges. Produces edible chestnuts that have husks covered in
sharp, 1.5 cm long spines.
Leaves 5–10 cm long, and often at least 6 times as long as broad, finely serrated and
covered with white silky hairs on both surfaces; petiole c. 5–8 mm. Tree to 10–25 m with
o
branches quite steeply ascending at 30–50 , forming a narrow, silvery-grey crown.
Leaves 6–15 cm and often about 7 times as long as broad, usually asymmetric at apex,
rather coarsely serrated, underside hairless (except when very young), bluish or paler
green than top surface; petiole 1–3 cm with 2 small glands at top. Tree to 10–25 m
o
branches spreading widely at 60–90 , forming a broad crown.
(c) Sylva Foundation 2010
11
14
15
16
Large-leaved lime
(Tilia platyphyllos)
Small-leaved lime
(T. cordata)
under
surface
Aspen
Grey poplar
Silver
birch
Downy
birch
12
13
14
under surface
Aspen
(Populus tremula)
Grey poplar
(P. x canescens)
Silver birch
(Betula pendula)
Black
poplar
Small-leaved lime
Large-leaved lime
Downy birch
(B. pubescens)
under
surface
Black poplar
(Populus nigra)
Beech
(Fagus sylvatica)
Hornbeam
Beech
Whitebeam
Hornbeam
(Carpinus betulus)
Whitebeam
(Sorbus aria)
Cherry (Prunus avium)
Cherry
Sweet chestnut
(Castanea sativa)
White willow
(Salix alba)
(includes cricket bat and
weeping willows)
Crack willow
(Salix fragilis)
www.SYLVA.org.uk
Sweet
chestnut
White
willow
Crack
willow
Page 3 of 4
KEY FOR CONIFERS
Needles arising from twig in pairs, 5 cm or more in length.
Needles arising from twigs in whorls (short shoots) as well as singly.
c
d
2a
Needles arising from twig singly.
Adult leaves scale-like, completely covering and pressed to twig.
Needles dark blue-green in colour, not more than 7.5 cm in length. Buds 1.5–2 cm rather squat and
abruptly pointed. Bark deeply fissured at base, and red towards top of tree.
2—Pines
3—Larches and
Cedars
4
7—‘Cypresses’
Scots pine
(Pinus sylvestris)
b
Needles very dark green, more than 7.5 cm in length, terminal bud drawn out to long fine point. Bark
slightly fissured or scaly and grey in colour. Planted at low elevations only.
Corsican pine
(Pinus nigra)
c
Usually an upland species. Buds dark brown, long, cylindrical, needles deep green, twisted. Cones
in whorls of 2–4, pointing back down stem.
3a
b
Needles evergreen, stiff and sharp.
Leaf-bearing twigs pale yellow. Leaves deciduous, soft, usually 2–3 cm, green. Cones tall, eggshaped, scales are not turned outwards as in L. kaempferi.
Leaf-bearing twigs reddish. Leaves similar to (b) but broader and greyer, about 4 cm with two broad
grey bands beneath. Cones flattened, bun-shaped, with edges of scales strongly turned out and
down like a rose.
(Hybrids between these two larches are commonly planted).
Leaves hard, pointed, stiff and spiny, mounted on small woody pegs, stem smooth to scaly.
Lodgepole pine
(Pinus contorta
var. latifolia)
Cedar (Cedrus spp)
European larch
(Larix decidua)
c
4a
b
5a
b
6a
b
c
Leaves arising direct from twig or small swelling. Leaves soft.
Needles flat but strongly keeled, 2–3 cm, sharply pointed, very stiff, with two blue-white bands
beneath. Foliage appears blue-grey. Bark tending to flake off, particularly on older trees.
Needles moderately stiff, spreading each side of and above shoot, 1–2 cm, four sided and each side
the same dark green. Bark slightly fissured at base, reddish.
Leaves long, 2–5 cm, very flat and arranged like a comb , two bright, narrow, silver bands beneath;
highly aromatic with a fruity orange-scent, leaving a disk-like scar when they fall. Bark smooth and
often containing many resin blisters.
Leaves parted each side above shoot, of mixed sizes: upper rows c. 0.6 cm, lowest rows c. 1.7 cm,
dark green above with two bright white bands beneath. Bark closely and vertically fissured. Leading
shoots drooping by 50–60 cm.
Buds pale brown, to 7 mm spindle-shaped like a beech. Leaves 2–2.5 cm, soft with two variably
bright white bands beneath. Cones with characteristic three-pronged bracts. Bark dark grey-green
and resin-blistered in young trees, deeply fissured in older trees.
d
Shoots grooved below leaves. Buds minute. Leaves 2–4 cm, linear, narrowing abruptly to a sharp
point. Needles soft, dark green above, lighter beneath. Bears crimson arils, not cones.
7a
Leading shoot drooping. Finest branchlets only 2 mm across. Foliage gives a resinous parsley-like
scent. Translucent glands in centre of median leaves (difficult to see). Bark finely vertically fissured
and dark brown in colour. Cones, when green, are globular, when mature dry, brown and open.
b
Leading shoot erect. Finest branchlets at least 2 mm across, usually 3 mm. Has fruity aroma of
pineapple. Bark finely vertically fissured and dark reddish brown in colour. Cones oval, leathery 1.5
cm long, scale tips spreading as spines.
(c) Sylva Foundation 2010
Scots pine
Corsican
pine
Lodgepole
pine
European larch
Japanese larch
Cedar
under surface
1a
b
Japanese larch
(Larix kaempferi)
5—Spruces
6
Sitka spruce
(Picea sitchensis)
Norway spruce
(P. abies)
Sitka spruce
Grand fir
(Abies grandis)
under
surface
Western hemlock
(Tsuga heterophylla)
Douglas fir
(Pseudotsuga
menziesii)
Grand fir
Norway
spruce
Western hemlock
Yew
(Taxus baccata)
Lawson’s cypress
(Chamaecyparis
lawsoniana)
Western red cedar
(Thuja plicata)
www.SYLVA.org.uk
Douglas fir
Yew
Lawson’s cypress
Western red cedar
Page 4 of 4