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Tree Identification
Week 4
Longleaf Pine
Longleaf Pine
• Longleaf pine----Pinaceae Pinus palustris
• Leaf: Evergreen, very long and feathery (8 to 18 inches
long), with three dark green needles per fascicle.
• Flower: Monoecious, males yellow-red, long, in clusters;
females oval, purple.
• Fruit: Very large (largest cone in the Eastern U. S. --6 to
10 inches long), ovoid to conical in shape, sessile. Scales
are red-brown in color. The umbo is armed with a curved
prickle. Maturing September to October.
• Twig: Very stout, brown, with large obvious, asbestoswhite buds.
• Bark: Quite scaly, orange-brown to gray, will eventually
develop plates.
• Form: A medium-sized tree with a straight trunk, coarse
branches and tufted needles at ends of branches.
Shortleaf Pine
Shortleaf Pine
•Shortleaf pine --Pinaceae Pinus echinata
•Leaf: Evergreen, 3 to 5 inches long, two or three (on the same branch)
slender and flexible needles per fascicle, dark yellow-green in color. The
fascicle sheath is persistent.
•Flower: Monoecious, males cylindrical, red to yellow, in clumps at ends of
twigs; females light green to red, with a large spine.
•Fruit: Compact, 2 inches long, ovoid, somewhat persistent. Cones are red
to brown in color. The umbo is armed with a small prickle. Maturing
October to November.
•Twig: Green and purple when young, later turning red-brown.
•Bark: Scaly and dark on young trees, eventually developing plates with
scaly surfaces. "Volcanoes" or small surface pockets of pitch may be
apparent.
•Form: A medium to large tree with a small, open, pyramidal crown.
Slash Pine
Slash Pine
• Slash pine---Pinaceae Pinus
elliottii
• Leaf: Evergreen, 7 to 10
inches long, flexible, with three
(sometimes two) needles per
fascicle, dark green in color.
The fascicle sheath is quite
long and persistent.
• Flower: Monoecious, males
cylindrical, red to yellow, in
clusters at ends of twigs;
females red to green, stalked
oval.
• Twig: Quite stout, orangebrown in color.
• Fruit: Cones are 3 to 6 inches
long, ovoid, borne on a stalk.
Cones are caramel in color.
The umbo is armed with a
small, out curved spine.
Maturing--October to
November.
• Bark: Red-brown and
furrowed when young,
becoming very platy. The
surfaces of the plates are
covered with thin, loose
scales.
• Form: A medium-sized tree
with a narrow-ovoid crown.
Needles appear to be tufted at
the ends of the branches.
Southern Red Oak
Southern Red Oak
• Southern red oak--Fagaceae
Quercus falcata
• Leaf: Alternate, simple, 5 to 9
inches long and roughly
obovate in outline. Two forms
are common- 3 lobes with
shallow sinuses or 5 to 7 lobes
with deeper sinuses. Lobes
are bristle-tipped. Tomentum is
present below and on the
petiole. Often resembles a
turkey foot.
• Flower: Staminate flowers
borne on catkins. Pistillate
flowers borne on spikes.
Appears with the leaves.
• Form: A medium-sized tree
with a short trunk and large
branches supporting a
rounded crown.
• Fruit: Acorns are 1/2 inch
long, orange-brown and
pubescent. The cap covers
less than 1/3 of the nut and is
quite thin and flattened.
Matures after two years, ripens
in September or October.
• Twig: Reddish-brown in color,
may be gray-pubescent or
glabrous. Multiple terminal
buds are dark red, pubescent,
pointed and only 1/8 to 1/4
inch long.
• Bark: Dark in color, thick, with
broad, scaly ridges separated
by deep, narrow furrows.
Resembles Q. velutina, but the
inner bark is only slightly
yellow.
Blackjack Oak
Fagaceae Quercus marilandica
Blackjack Oak
Leaf: Alternate, simple, 5 to 8 inches long, thickened, with 3 shallow, bristletipped lobes near the end of the leaf, upper surface lustrous green, lower
surface paler with orange-brown pubescence.
Flower: Monoecious, males 2 to 4 inch long hanging catkin, females small,
single or paired.
Fruit: Acorn, nut 3/4 inch long often striated, light brown, cap covers about
half of the nut and is covered with loose, hairy scales.
Twig: Stout, dark brown and scruffy-hairy, reddish-brown buds are 1/4 inch
long, sharp, angled and fuzzy.
Bark: Very dark (almost black), rough, with blocky plates and splits.
Form: A small sized tree (20 to 30 feet tall) generally with poor form. It
typically has a short trunk with a round crown made up of twisted limbs.
Live Oak
Fagaceae Quercus virginiana
Live Oak
Leaf: Alternate, simple, evergreen, leathery, 2 to 5 inches long, oblong or elliptical in
shape with an entire or spiny and revolute margin. The upper surface is lustrous, the
lower is pale and pubescent . Generally, not bristle-tipped.
Flower: Staminate flowers borne on catkins. Pistillate flowers borne on spikes.
Appearing March through May.
Fruit: Acorns are in clusters of 3 to 5, maturing in one season. The nut is dark in color, 3/4
inch long and covered 1/3 by the cap. The cap is bowl-shaped and
warty, termed "turbinate" by Harlow et al. Maturing in September of the first year.
Twig: Slender, gray and pubescent, with small, blunt, multiple terminal buds.
Bark: Rapidly developing red-brown furrows with small surface scales. Later,
becoming black and very blocky.
Form: A medium-sized tree that can grow to massive proportions. Open grown
trees develop a huge rounded crown. The largest trees may be 150 feet across.
Overcup Oak
Fagaceae Quercus lyrata
Overcup Oak
Leaf: Alternate, simple, 6 to 10 inches long, roughly oblong in shape with a highly
variable margin that has 5 to 9 lobes with irregular sinuses. The underside is white
and pubescent.
Flower: Male flowers are green, borne in naked catkins, 2 to 4 inches long.
Female flowers are reddish and appear as single spikes. Appearing with the
leaves.
Fruit: Acorns are 1/2 to 1 inch long, round and almost entirely covered by the cap.
The cap is warty and unfringed. Maturing in 1 year, ripening in September or
October.
Twig: Slender and gray, glabrous - very closely resembling white oak. Buds are
small, ovoid and light chestnut brown in color. End buds are multiple.
Bark: Gray-brown and scaly, often with irregular plates, again resembling white
oak.
Form: A medium-sized tree with generally poor, twisted form. However, the
crown is pyramidal/oval and later rounded.
Cottonwood
Taxodiaceae Taxodium ascendens
Cottonwood
Leaf: Alternate, simple, pinnately veined, 3 to 6 inches long, triangular (deltoid) in
shape with a crenate/serrate margin. The petiole is flattened and glands are present
at the top of the petiole.
Flower: Dioecious, male and female as pendulous catkins, appearing before the
leaves.
Fruit: Cottony seeds, 1/4 inch long borne in a dehiscent capsule. Maturing over
summer.
Twig: Stout, somewhat angled and yellowish. Buds are 3/4 inch long, covered with
several brown, resinous scales. Has a bitter aspirin taste.
Bark: Smooth, gray to yellow-green when young. Later turning gray with thick
ridges and deep furrows.
Form: A large tree with a clear bole and an open spreading crown resulting in a
somewhat vase-shaped form.
Pond Cypress
Taxodiaceae Taxodium ascendens
Pond Cypress
Leaf: Short, awl-like needles held close to the twig, green to yellow green.
Flower: Males in long (3 to 5 inches) hanging panicles, female's small and occur
near branch tips.
Fruit: Nearly round cone with peltate scales, ¾ to 1 inch in diameter, initially
yellow green but turning brown when mature, Breaks up into individual scales.
Twig: Slender covered with tight scale like foliage, later brown as needles age and
fall off, typical twigs ascending vertically from branches.
Bark: Fibrous and shreddy, red brown and gray where oxidized, thought to
become thicker than that of bald cypress.
Form: Medium sized tree with a pyramidal crown, clear bole and often buttressed
base, generally smaller than bald cypress.
Red Cedar
Cupressaceae Juniperus virginiana
Red Cedar
Leaf: Evergreen, with two types of leaves, often on the same tree. Scale leaves
1/16 inch long, dark green, with 4 sides. Awl leaves are more common on young
trees, 1/8 to 3/8 inch long, dark blue-green and sharp-pointed.
Flower: Males are dioecious, but occasionally monoecious, yellow-brown,
occurring in large groups. Females are light blue-green.
Fruit: Berry-like cones, light green in spring, turning dark blue and glaucous at
maturity, about 1/4 inch in diameter. Appearing March to May. Maturing
September to November.
Twig: Green for several years, covered in scales, later turning brown.
Bark: Red-brown in color, exfoliating in long, fibrous strips, often ashy gray where
exposed.
Form: A small tree with a dense pyramidal or columner crown.
River Birch
Betulaceae Betula nigra
River Birch
Leaf: Alternate, simple, pinnately-veined, rhombic to ovate, 1 1/2 to 3 inches long,
obviously doubly serrate, with a wedge-shaped base.
Flower: Preformed aments, male near the end of the twig, 2 to 3 inches long.
Female catkins upright, 1/4 to 1/2 inch long. Flowering in early spring.
Fruit: Cone like, 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, with many hairy scales, containing tiny,
3-winged seeds.
Twig: Slender, orangish-brown in color, smooth or slightly pubescent, with the
terminal bud absent. Lateral buds may be slightly pubescent. No wintergreen odor
when cut.
Bark: Smooth on young trees, salmon to rust colored. On older trees, developing
papery scales, exfoliating horizontally with several colors (creamy to
orangish-brown) visible. Later developing coarse scales.
Form: River birch is a medium-size tree with poor form. The trunk generally
divides low into several arching branches.
Sourwood
Ericaceae Oxydendrum arboreum
Sourwood
Leaf: Alternate, simple, elliptical to lanceolate, very finely serrate, 4 to 7 inches
long with very slight pubescence on the mid-vein below. A sour taste is obvious
when the leaf is chewed.
Flower: White, 1/4 inch long, borne on drooping panicles, reminiscent of
lily-of-the-valley flowers. Present late June to August.
Fruit: Born on panicles, enclosed in dehiscent, 5-valved capsules. Capsules are dry
when mature (September to October) and release the tiny, 2-winged seeds.
Twig: Olive green, changing to red, with buds that are small and oppressed. Leaf
scars are elevated with one bundle scar.
Bark: Grayish brown, very thick with deep furrows and scaly ridges. Often the
ridges are broken into recognizable rectangles.
Form: A small tree, usually with poor form and an irregular crown.