Plant Species and Characteristics Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards generated from lab notes detailing plant genera, species, families, common names, growth types, tolerances, physical characteristics, and ecological/practical significance.

Clintonia borealis

Common name: bluebead lilly. Type: Herb. Tolerance: Tol. Characteristics: Parallel veins, long and slender blue berries on stalk. Significance: Widespread, berries poisonous. (Lab 1)

Aralia nudicaulis

Common name: wild sarsaparilla. Type: Herb. Tolerance: Tol. Characteristics: single petiole branching into 3 leaves, flower separate stalk, radiating stary pattern. Significance: Widespread, flavor, root as food. (Lab 1)

Pteridium aquilinum

Common name: bracken fern. Type: Fern. Tolerance: Mod. Characteristics: single petiole branching into 3 leaves. Significance: Widespread, disturbed sites. (Lab 1)

Hamamelis virginiana

Family: Hamamelidaceae. Common name: witch hazel. Type: Shrub. Tolerance: Tol. Characteristics: Oval leaves, serrated margin, yellow, shredded flower petals. Significance: Astringent, flowers in fall. (Lab 1)

Acer saccharum

Family: Aceraceae. Common name: sugar maple. Type: Tree. Tolerance: Tol. Characteristics: 5 lobes, smooth margin, U sinus; Smooth, gray young bark, furrowed older bark with yellow/gold inner tissue. Significance: Hardwood lumber, syrup. (Lab 1)

Maianthemum canadense

Common name: Canada mayflower. Type: Herb. Tolerance: Tol. Significance: Widespread, medicinal, diarrhea. (Lab 1)

Mitchella repens

Common name: partridgeberry. Type: herb. Tolerance: Tol. Significance: Upland, food & medicine. (Lab 1)

Trientalis borealis

Common name: starflower. Type: Herb. Tolerance: Tol. Significance: Widespread. (Lab 1)

Osmunda claytoniana

Common name: interrupted fern. Type: Fern. Tolerance: Tol. Significance: Widespread. (Lab 1)

Populus grandidentata

Family: Salicaceae. Common name: bigtooth aspen. Type: Tree. Tolerance: Intol. Significance: Particle board, pulp. (Lab 1)

Gaultheria procumbens

Family: Ericaceae. Common name: wintergreen. Type: Herb. Tolerance: Tol. Significance: Widespread, flavor and medicinal. (Lab 1)

Polystichum acrostichoides

Common name: Christmas fern. Type: Fern. Tolerance: Tol. Significance: Hardwood stnd. (Lab 1)

Fagus grandifolia

Family: Fagaceae. Common name: American beech. Type: Tree. Tolerance: Very Tol. Significance: Beech nuts, disease, Best on rich soil, can grow on poor, dry sites; almost all tree have bark disease, used for furniture, handles, firewood. (Lab 2)

Robinia pseudoacacia

Family: Fabaceae. Common name: black locust. Type: Tree. Tolerance: Intol. Significance: Planted, native invasive, fence posts- heavy wood. (Lab 2)

Comptonia peregrina

Common name: sweet fern. Type: Herb. Tolerance: Mod. Significance: Well drained sites, not a fern. (Lab 2)

Rosa multiflora

Family: Rosaceae. Common name: muliflora rose. Type: Shrub. Tolerance: Mod. Significance: Invasive. (Lab 2)

Acer negundo

Family: Aceraceae. Common name: box elder. Type: Tree. Tolerance: Intol. Significance: Planted in Maine. (Lab 2)

Acer rubrum

Family: Aceraceae. Common name: red maple. Type: Tree. Tolerance: Mod. Significance: Found in swamps and upland, favored by disturbance (sprouts), used for pulp and firewood, furniture, planted. (Lab 2)

Quercus rubra

Family: Fagaceae. Common name: red oak. Type: Tree. Tolerance: Mod. Significance: Pine-oak type on well drained sites, used for furniture, floors, firewood, ribs & beams in boats. (Lab 2)

Fraxinus americana

Family: Oleaceae. Common name: white ash. Type: Tree. Tolerance: Mod. Significance: Handles/bats, upland good sites. (Lab 2)

Fraxinus pennsylvanica

Family: Oleaceae. Common name: green ash. Type: Tree. Tolerance: Mod. Significance: Planted, bottom lands. (Lab 2)

Alnus incana ssp. rugosa

Family: Betulaceae. Common name: speckled alder. Type: Shrub. Tolerance: Intol. Significance: Moist sites and swamps, shrub, supports nitrogen-fixing bacteria. (Lab 2)

Betula populifolia

Family: Betulaceae. Common name: gray birch. Type: Tree. Tolerance: Intol. Significance: Disturbed sites, little commercial value, can be used for pulp and firewood. (Lab 2)

Populus tremuloides

Family: Salicaceae. Common name: quaking aspen. Type: Tree. Tolerance: Intol. Significance: Regenerates after fires or cuts, wood used for oriented strand board, pulp, largest tree range in North America. (Lab 2)

Salix spp.

Family: Salicaceae. Common name: willow. Type: Tree. Tolerance: Intol. Significance: bottomlands. (Lab 2)

Betula papyrifera

Family: Betulaceae. Common name: white birch. Type: Tree. Tolerance: Intol. Significance: Regenerates after fires, cuts; used for clothes-pins, toothpicks, wood spoons/sticks; bark used for traditional canoes. (Lab 2)

Fraxinus nigra

Family: Oleaceae. Common name: black ash. Type: tree. Tolerance: Mod. Significance: baskets, rivers, wetlands. (Lab 2)