dr. stuart alan moss assistant professor west virginia university division of forestry & natural...

Dr. Stuart Alan MossAssistant Professor

West Virginia UniversityDivision of Forestry & Natural Resources

Tree Identification Basics

GymnospermsDo not produce true flowersSeeds borne in conesConifers (pine, spruce, fir, hemlock, larch, cedar, etc.) Mostly evergreen, but some are deciduous (larch,

baldcypress)

AngiospermsFlowering plants“Hardwoods” (oak, maple, hickory, ash, cherry, etc.)Sometimes referred to as “broad-leafed”Mostly deciduous, but some are evergreen (live oak, holly)

Gymnosperm vs. Angiosperm

Shape of Tree

Branching Pattern

Bark

Twigs & Buds

Leaves

Fruit

Flowers

Tree Identification May Use:

Overall Tree/Crown Shape

Branching Pattern

Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison

massnrc.org

Opposite Branching – “MAD-Cap Horse”MapleAshDogwood

Caprifoliaceae (Viburnams)Horsechestnut / Buckeye

Branching Pattern

hvfarmscape.org

Branching pattern of red maple

Characteristics Useful for Identification:Broad-leaf vs. scaled or needle-likeSimple vs. compoundGeneral shapeMarginPubescent (hairy or fuzzy) vs. glabrous

(smooth)Arrangement on twigsScentTaste

Leaves - General

Leaves – Scaled

Iowa State Univ. Treetopics.com

Eastern redcedarNorthern white-cedar

Leaves –Needle-like

Gaiahealthblog.com Ayay.co.uk

Angular shape, sharp to touch : spruces

Flattened shape, rounded tip : firs and hemlock

Needles arranged singularly along the stem:

Leaves –Needle-like in bundles

Virginia Dept. of Education

Fascicle

“Simple”

“Compound”

Leaves – Broad-leafed

University of New Hampshire 2020site.org

University of North Carolina

Sugar maple American beech

Mockernut hickory

Leaves – Compound Broad-leaf

sluh.org

Palmate - buckeyeMississippi State University

Pinnate – white ash Bi-pinnate - honeylocust

honeylocust.com

Broad-leaf Shapes

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

Leaf Margins

EntireSmooth edge

SinuateWavy, almost lobed

UndulateWavy

Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky

Leaf Margins

LobedLobes extend less than halfway to rib

Pinnately DividedLobes more than halfway to rib

PalmatelyDividedLobed like a hand

Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky

Leaf Margins

SerrateForward-pointing teeth of uniform size

SerrulateVery finely serrate

Doubly Serrate (Erose)Teeth vary in size

Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky

Leaf Margins

DentateOutward-pointing teeth

CrenateRounded teeth

CiliateFine hairs

Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky

Leaf Venation

PinnateExtend from rib to margin

PalmateExtend from central point to end of each lobe

ParallelRun parallel to margin

Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky

Leaf Apices (Tips)

Univ. of Illinois

Leaf Bases

Univ. of Maryland

Characteristics Useful for Identification:ColorTextureThickness

Bark - General

Characteristics Change with Age!

Bark Characteristics

northernwoodlands.org

Black cherry

Bark Texture - SmoothAmerican beech

Bark Texture – Ridged / Furrowed

suttonmass.org

Uninterrupted

Iowa State Univ.

Intersecting

Northern red oak White ash

Bark Texture – Blocked

augustaga.gov

Blackgum

Bark Texture – Plated / Scaled

Black cherry

Bark Texture – Peeling / Exfoliating

ipfw.eduMissouri Botanical Gardens

River birch American sycamore

Bark Texture – Lenticels

Univ. of Miami

White (paper) birch White poplar

Common on birch, poplar, cherry and others

Characteristics Useful for Identification:ThicknessTexture / Features

GlabrousPubescentWinged / corkyThorns/spines

ColorLeaf scarsBuds

Arrangement (alternate vs. opposite)ShapeTexture (smooth, sticky)Scales

Twigs - General

Twigs - Anatomy

Clemson University

Twigs – Overview

Eat the Weeds

Ash Maple Birch Beech Horse-chestnut

Oak

Twigs – Thickness

Portrait of the Earth (both)

Thick, stout twigs are usually indicative of heavy fruit (walnut, hickory, buckeye, etc.)

Black walnut Cherry (choke, black & pin)

Twigs – Features

Louisiana State Univ.

Corky “wings” on sweetgumSpines on black locust

Auburn Univ.

Twigs – Leaf Scars

Univ. of Maryland

Univ. of Wisconsin – Green Bay

Ohio DNR Division of Forestry

Buckeye

Butternut & black walnut

TerminalFalse TerminalLateralSingle or clusters

Types of Buds

Ohioplants.org

Basswood – bitternut hickory – chinquapin oak

Buds - Shape

Missouriplants.com

Carolinanature.com

Auburn Univ. Ohioplants.org

Bud Scales

Ohioplants.org

Valvate yellow-poplar

Imbricate sugar maple

Nakedwitch-hazel

Drupe – cherry, peach, plum, dogwoodPome – apple, pearBerry – persimmon, hollyNut – hickory, pecan, walnutAcorn –oakSamara – maple, ash, elm, yellow-

poplarSeeds in pods – black locust,

honeylocust, redbud

Fruits of Angiosperms

Fruit - Drupes

Louisiana State Univ.

Black cherry Dogwood

Missouri State Univ.

Fruit - PomesApple

Brookfarm.com

Fruit - Berry

Persimmon

Discoverlife.org Thetreecenter.com

Holly

Fruit - Nut

Mockernut hickory

Auburn Univ.

Black walnut

Onlyfoods.net

Fruit - AcornNorthern red oak

Treetopics.com

White oak

Virginia Native Plant SocietyPin oak

University of Kentucky

Fruit - SamaraRed maple

Washington State Univ.

Yellow-poplar

Oregon State Univ.

Slippery elm

Carolinanature.com

Fruit – Legume PodsEastern redbud

Caseytrees.org

Fruits of Conifers

Various Southern Pines

University of South Carolina

Fruits of ConifersNorway spruce

Treetopics.com

Baldcypress

Stephen F. Austin State Univ.

Eastern redcedar

University of Tennessee

Use a series of “yes or no” questions (“Are leafs needle-like?”) or mutually-exclusive options (“Leaves simple or compound”).

Answers to questions direct the user to the next question.

Dichotomous Keys

Using a Dichotomous Key

Dichotomous Keys

More advanced keys use all available characteristics: leaves, twigs, buds, etc.

Some keys are specialized for use in winter (i.e. they do not rely on leaves for deciduous species).

Here are a few examples: http://bhort.bh.cornell.edu/tree/keys.htm http://cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/idit.htm http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/

treeidkey.pdf