week 1 tree id

Silky dog wood

Scientific name cornus amomum

family cornaceae

Opposite leaves parallel arching veins, blue fall berries. When you tear it lil strands, red stem, buds tucked up close to stem

pin oak

scientific name quercus palustris.

family fagaceae.

5-7 usually 5 spiked lobes, broad deep sinuses. more deeply lobed than red oak, branches slope down at the bottom of the tree. Color in the fall more red. Sinuses cut more than halfway to midrib.

Arrow head

scientific name: viburnum dentatum. Family: adoxaceae. Formerly known as caprifoliaceae

Opposite leaves

parallel veins extending to each tooth, blue fall berries. simple. flowers white flat topped custers in the spring. stem not red, buds green, leaves wider

Red oak

scientific name: Quercus rebra. Family name: fagaceae. Clustered terminal buds. Not as deep lobed as pin oak. Gaps in bark like ski trails lll. Acorn caps are very thin. Acorns significantly longer caps shorter than pin oak.

Prickly wild rose

scientific name: Rosa acicularis. Family: Rosaceae. Stipule is not fringed
Thorns are spikey and encircle
stem. Parmainly compounded leaves. Oval-shaped leaves and stiff thorns

Multiflora rose

Scientific name: Rosa multiflora. Family name: Rosaceae. Woody structured rose, curved down thorns, more circular shaped leaf, rose buds in summer, stipule is lacy or “fringed”. Thorns are recurved toward the bae of the stem. Stems appear tangled and messy. Leaflets have toothed edges

black walnut

scientific name: Juglans nigra. Family name: Juglandaceae. Compound, alternate leaves with lots like 17-21 of leaflets. Bark has interlaced diamond pattern leaf scars resemble a monkey face

white ash

Scientific name: Fraxinus americana. Family: Oleaceae. Tree known for its pinnately compound, opposite leaves, bark has innerlaced pattern. buds look like chocolate chips. whitish color to bark. u shaped leaf scars. has lil helicopters

wild grape

scientific name: vitis spp. Family: Vitaceae. Climbing vine. double serated, kinda looks like maple leaf, heart shaped leaf. and clusters of small grapes. Often found in wooded areas and near fences.

Horse chesnut

Scientific name: Aesculus hippocastanum. Family Sapindaceae. Formerly hippocastanaceae. palmate compounded leaf, opposite leaves, large terminal bud, has 5-7 leafs, reddish coloration on the bottom of leaves. Large stickly buds

Ohio buckeye

Scientific name: Aesculus glabra. Family: Sapindaceae. Formerly known as hippocantanaceae, this tree features palmate leaves with 5 leaflets, produces small yellow-green flowers in clusters, and has spiky seed capsules. Its leaves turn yellow in the fall. Gray to brown, scaly and somewhat corky with age. Palmate, like horse chestnut, but usually with 5 (sometimes 7) leaflets.

• Size: Leaflets 3–6 inches long, more narrow and sharply toothed than horse chestnut.

crab apple

scientific name: malus spp. Family: Rosaceae. Size: Usually 15–25 feet tall, often spreading as wide as tall, giving a rounded or sometimes vase-shaped crown.

• Bark: Dark brown to gray, developing rough ridges and scales with age.

Leaves

• Shape: Simple, oval, with finely serrated edges.

• Size: 2–4 inches long.

• Color: Medium green in summer, turning yellow, orange, or red in falland are arranged alternately on the stem. Flowers: Pink to white, 1–2 inches wide, cluster in groups of 2-5, occurring in spring before the leaves.

Sassafras

Scientific name: Sassafras albidum. Family name: Lauraceae.

This medium-sized tree is known for its distinctive, aromatic leaves that can be unlobed, two-lobed, or three-lobed. It produces small yellow flowers and blue-black fruits, often found in moist woods and along roadsides.

Bark and Twigs

• Bark: Reddish-brown and deeply furrowed on older trees; aromatic when scratched.

• Twigs: Slender, greenish to orange-brown, with a spicy fragrance when broken.

Leaves

• Shape: Famous for its variable leaf shapes on the same tree:

  • Entire (oval, no lobes)

  • Two-lobed (“mitten-shaped”)

  • Three-lobed (“trident-shaped”)

• Size: 3–7 inches long.

• Fall Color: Brilliant shades of yellow, orange, red, and purple, making it one of Michigan’s most colorful fall trees.

• Aroma: Leaves are aromatic when crushed, with a sweet, spicy scent.

Bur oak

Scientific name: Quercus macrocapra. Family: Fagaceae. This large tree is known for its distinctive acorns and thick, rugged bark. It typically has a broad, spreading crown and can thrive in various soil types, often found in prairies and woodlands.

• Bark: Thick, gray to brown, deeply furrowed with heavy ridges—very fire-resistant.

• Twigs: Stout, often with corky ridges on young branches.

• Shape: Distinctive—lobed with deep sinuses in the lower half and a wider, rounded top half (almost like a fiddle or lyre shape).

• Size: 6–12 inches long, among the largest of Michigan’s oaks.

Eastern red cedar

Scientific name: Juniperus virginiana. Family CupressaceaeThis evergreen tree is known for its scale-like leaves and aromatic, reddish-brown bark. It typically grows in a conical shape and is often found in dry, rocky soils. Peely bark when you peel it its red. red needles look more sharp. scaled leaves and fruits white juniper fruits.

Honey locust

Scientific name: Gledistia triacanthos Family: Fabaceae.Pinnately compound AND bipinnately
compound leaves Bark: Gray-brown, breaking into long, narrow ridges with age.

• Thorns: Wild-type honey locusts often bear large, branched thorns (sometimes over 6 inches long) on trunks and branches. Many ornamental varieties planted in cities are thornless cultivars.

• Fruit

  • Type: Long, flat, twisted pods (8–18 inches).

  • Color: Green when young, maturing to brown.

  • Content: Contain several seeds in a sweet pulp that gives the tree its name “honey locust.”

  • Wildlife Value: Pods are eaten by deer, squirrels, rabbits, and sometimes livestock.

white spruce

Scientifc name: picea glauca. Family name: Pinaceae. This evergreen tree is characterized by its narrow, conical shape and light green to blue-green needles. Bark is thin, gray to reddish-brown, and scaly, often flaking in small, rounded plates. Slender, cylindrical, 1–2 inches long. They are light brown, with thin, flexible scales, and often hang on the tree through winter.

white pine

scientific name: pinus strobus. Family: Pinaceae. This tall evergreen tree is known for its long, soft, flexible needles that grow in clusters of five. Its bark is gray-brown and smooth when young, becoming furrowed and scaly with age. The cones are long and slender, typically 4 to 8 inches, they are more woody cones and can persist on the tree for several years.

margins

1. Entire

• Smooth edge, no teeth or lobes.

• Example: Magnolia leaf.

2. Undulate

• Wavy edge, but not sharply toothed.

• Example: Some camellia leaves.

3. Serrate

• Edge has sharp, forward-pointing teeth, like a saw blade.

• Example: Elm leaves.

4. Doubly Serrate

• Each tooth has smaller teeth on it (a double row of serrations).

• Example: Birch leaves.

5. Dentate

• Teeth along the edge, but they point outward rather than forward.

• Example: Chestnut leaves.

6. Crenate

• Rounded teeth, more scalloped than sharp.

• Example: Ground ivy leaves.

7. Lobed

• Deep indentations go toward the midrib, but not all the way.

• Example: Oak leaves.

8. Parted

• Very deep cuts, almost reaching the midrib, but still one leaf blade.

• Example: Some buttercup species.

9. Palmate

• Lobes spread out from a central point, like fingers on a hand.

• Example: Maple leaf.

surface features

• Glabrous = smooth

• Glaucous = waxy/whitish

• Pubescent = soft hairy

• Scabrous = rough hairy

• Rugose = wrinkled

• Glandular = dotted with glands

seeds

In summary:

• Naked seed = exposed (cones).

• Dry indehiscent = dry fruits that don’t split.

• Dry dehiscent = dry fruits that split open.

• Fleshy = soft, juicy fruits.

shapes

Narrow and Elongated

• Linear – Very narrow, parallel sides (like grass blades).

• Lanceolate – Shaped like a lance: longer than wide, widest below the middle, tapering to the tip.

• Oblanceolate – Reverse of lanceolate: widest above the middle, tapering toward the base.

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Rounded and Broader Forms

• Spatulate – Spoon-shaped: broad at the tip, narrow at the base.

• Ovate – Egg-shaped: broadest below the middle, tapering toward the tip.

• Obovate – Reverse egg-shaped: broadest above the middle.

• Elliptic – Oval-shaped, widest at the center, tapering equally at both ends.

• Oblong – Longer than wide, sides nearly parallel.

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Distinctive or Specialized Shapes

• Deltoid – Triangular, like the Greek letter delta (Δ).

• Reniform – Kidney-shaped.

• Orbicular – Circular or nearly round.

• Peltate – Shield-like: petiole attached to the lower surface of the leaf blade, not the edge.

features