Ecology ID Plants

Family that contains pine trees

Pinaceae

Pinus clausa (Sand Pine)

• small/medium tree

• short needles (2 per bundle)

• round cones

Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pine)

• medium/large tree

• long needles (3 per bundle)

• light meristem

• tall, leafless trunk (bushy when young)

Pinus serotina (Pond Pine)

• small/medium tree

• twisted trunk

• short adventitious branches

• dradle-shaped cones

Family that includes beeches, chestnuts, and oaks

Fagaceae

Quercus chapmanii (Chapman Oak)

• small shrub or tree

• duck foot-shaped leaf

• hairy underleaf

Quercus myrtifolia (Myrtle Oak)

• small shrub or tree

• oval leaves (curled in)

• hairless underleaf

Quercus geminata (Sand Live Oak)

• small/medium tree

• thick, furrowed bark

• long, leathery leaves that curl

Quercus virginiana (Southern Live Oak)

• large tree

• grey-ish, furrowed bark and short trunk

• leathery, oblong leaves that do not curl

Family that contains palms

Arecaceae

Sabal palmetto (Sabal Palm)

• straight trunk

• well-defined midrib (pointed)

• juveniles similar to saw palms

Serenoa repens (Saw Palmetto)

• low shrub (buried or parallel trunk)

• squared midrib

Family that contains mint

Lamiaceae

Callicarpa americana (American Beautyberry)

• shrub

• simple, serrated leaves

• rough/fuzzy leaves

• tiny lavender flowers

• small, clustered magenta fruit

Family that contains holly

Aquifoliaceae

Ilex glabra (Gallberry)

• shrub

• toothed, leathery leaves (notches near tips)

• yellow outline

• tiny white flowers

• tiny purple/black berries

Family containing cashews/mangoes

Anacardiaceae

Rhus copallinum (Winged Sumac)

• shrub or small tree

• rusty, hairy twigs

• small berry-like drupes

Family containing heaths/heathers

Ericaceae

Lyonia ferruginea (Rusty Staggerbush)

• shrub

• reddish, scaly bark

• rusty tips

• hairy undersides

• white flowers

Lyonia lucida (Fetterbush)

• shrub

• white-ish pink flowers

• hairy undersides

• yellow outline

Vaccinum myrsinites (Shiny Blueberry)

• tiny shrub

• slender branches and stems

• tiny, toothed leaves

• blue/black berries

Family that contains grasses

Poaceae

Andropogon virginicus (Chalky Bluestem)

• tall grass

• blue-ish color

• chalky

Aristida stricta (Wiregrass)

• upright grass

• wire-y, needle-like leaves

• wide

Family that contains cacti and succulents

Cactaceae

Opuntia humifusa (Prickly Pear Cactus)

• flat, leaf-like lobes

• pink-ish fruits

Family that contains grapes and vines

Vitaceae/Smilacaceae

Vitis rotundifolia (Muscadine Grape)

• palmate, lobed leaves (heart-shaped)

• toothed

• simple tendrils

Smilax spp. (Greenbrier)

• simple leaves with no serration

• woody, thorny vines

Toxicodendron spp. (Poison Ivy)

• hairy, rope-like vine

• “leaves of three, let them be”