The Beauty of the Trees & Shrubs in Farndon

Photographed, and compiled by

John Dodson – March 2010

Part 2 – Trees With Alternate Leaves

(I to Z) 1 Definitions – Leaves 1 of 2

• Alternate – Leaves, first on one side of the stem then the next leaf lower down on opposite side.

• Compound – Leaf made up of a number of leaflets on the one stalk similar to the Ash & Horse-chestnut.

• Opposite – Leaves opposite each other on the stem.

2 Definitions – Leaves 2 of 2 • Cordate – Heart shaped at base, pointed at tip, similar to the Lime.

• Elliptical – About 3 to 4 x longer than wide.

• Lanceolate – Long and narrow pointed at tip.

• Pinnate – Compound leaf similar to Ash.

• Obovate – Broadest part above the middle & tapering gradually to base, similar to a single leaflet of a Horse-chestnut.

• Oval - About 2 x longer than wide. 3 Definitions - Flowers • Catkin – A spike of tiny flowers, usually all of one sex and found on trees or shrubs. Often male and female catkins are on separate trees as with Willows. • Corymb – Flattish topped cluster with stalks originating from different points as in Rowan. • Cyme – Terminal flower opens first followed by others, each further down the stem as in Spindle. • Panicle – A branching raceme. • Raceme – A spike with the lowest flower opening first with each flower on a small stem off central stem as in Bird Cherry. • Umbel – Flattish topped cluster with stalks originating from the same point. Can be many of these making up an inflorescence as in Elder. 4 Alternate Leaves. (I to Z)

5 Lime, Small-leaved – Tilia cordata • Flower

• Jun/Jul, after leaves – yellowy/white inflorescence. 5 petalled flower with pale green single wing up to 3cm. long. • Note similar varieties exist eg. large-leaved or common (hybrid of large & small leaved). Check fruit shape & leaf size & shape. Rust coloured hairs in clusters in some vein axils on underside of mature leaves of Small Leaved variety. 6 Lime, Small-leaved – Tilia cordata • Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf - Alternate, 4 – 8cm. long, cordate, rounded, pointed, toothed & hairless except for rusty hairs in axils of some veins. • Fruit – Sept, rounded, approx. 5-8mm. dia. often with pointed 7 tip. Oak, Pendunculate – Quercus robur • Flower

• Apr/May with leaves. Left - male catkins, greenish yellow up to 80mm. • Right – Female flowers small, reddish, up to 5mm.

long. 8 Oak, Pendunculate – Quercus robur • Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf - Alternate, 5 – 15cm. long, obovate, lobed, untoothed, hairless. • Fruit – Sept/Oct, acorn, up to 3 on one common

stalk, 20 – 30mm. long, green maturing to brown. 9 Osier, Common – Salix viminalis

• See Section on Willows for Details

10 Plane, London – Platanus x hispanica • Flower

• May, with leaves. Male (left) and female separate, in small globular clusters about 1cm. dia.

11 Plane, London – Platanus x hispanica • Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf – Alternate, 12 – 24cm. long, palmate, 3 – 5 pointed lobes, toothed. • Fruit – Sept/Oct, in dense hairy clusters 2 – 3cm. dia. 12 Poplar – Part of the Willow Family • Deciduous, & dioecious with alternate leaves. • Male and female catkins on different trees. Female producing many small capsules each producing many silky covered small seeds. Note similarity with willow. • Often difficult to identify due to hybridisation. • The following is a guide and may need

the help of a specialist book. 13 Poplar, Hybrid – Populus canadensis agg. • Flower

• Usually a cross between Black & Cottonwood Poplar. Check books for a definitive identification. • Flowers in March before leaves. Male catkin, left & middle, reddish up to 9cm. long. Female catkin shown right, yellow- green, tinged pink, slightly shorter and more slender, elongating in fruit. 14 Poplar, Hybrid – Populus canadensis agg. • Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf - Alternate, 5 – 10cm. long, triangular, toothed, hairless. Length approx = Width. Teeth slightly hooked when compared to Black Poplar. • Fruit –May/Jun, female catkin shown right with fluff covered seeds. 15 Poplar, Black – Populus nigra • General

• Flower, Leaf & Fruit – Similar to Hybrid - Characteristic deeply fissured bark.

• Leaf - Alternate, 5 – 10cm. long, triangular, toothed 16 (but not hooked), & hairless. Length>Width Poplar, Grey – Populus canescens • General

• Flower, and Fruit – Similar to Hybrid. • Leaf - Alternate, 4 – 10cm. long, rounded to oval, weakly

lobed. Glossy green above, felty grey hairs below. 17 Poplar, Lombardy – Populus nigra ‘Italica’ • General

• Flower, Leaf and Fruit – Similar to Hybrid. • Leaf - Alternate, - smaller than hybrid. Often Length

• Leaf - Alternate, typically 4 – 10cm. long, palmate lobed, toothed, but very variable. When mature, hairless above, white & woolly below. 19 • Flower & Fruit – Similar to Hybrid. Whitebeam, Common – Sorbus aria • Flower

• May/June after leaf. White in terminal clusters with 5 petals, 6 – 8mm. dia. 20 Whitebeam, Common – Sorbus aria • Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf – Alternate, 6 – 12cm. long, oval, toothed, & woolly white to yellowy grey below. • Fruit – Sept/Oct, orange/red in clusters, 1 – 1.5cm. 21 dia. Whitebeam, Swedish – Sorbus intermedia • Leaf/Fruit – (Flower & fruit very similar to Common).

• Leaf – Alternate, 6 – 11cm. long, oval, lobed, toothed, shiny green above, & grey with felty hairs below becoming hairless. • Fruit – Sept/Oct, orange/red in clusters, 1 – 1.3cm. 22 dia. Willow Family (See also Aspen & Poplar) • Deciduous, & dioecious with alternate leaves. • Male and female catkins on different trees. Female producing many small capsules each producing many silky covered small seeds. • Often difficult to identify due to much hybridisation. • The following is a guide and may need the help of a specialist book.

23 Willow, Crack – Salix fragilis • Flower

• Mar/Apr, with leaves. Left, male catkins, up to 8cm. long are formed with leaf. Female catkins shown right are shorter and more slender. 24 Willow, Crack – Salix fragilis • Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf – Alternate, up to 17cm. long, lanceolate, toothed. Shiny dark green above paler below. Twigs fragile a break with a ‘snap’ at a junction. Length 5 to 8 x Width. • Fruit – Very silky texture to hairs carrying many small 25 windborne seeds. Willow, Goat – Salix caprea • Flower (Male also known as Pussy Willow)

• Mar/Apr, before leaves. Male catkins, have the silvery hairs of the well known pussy willow before bright yellow stamens 2 – 4cm. long appear giving them a bulbous appearance. 26 Willow, Goat – Salix caprea • Flower (Female)

• Mar/Apr, before leaves. Female catkins, have the silvery hairs of the male but open to slimmer less flamboyant catkins 3 - 7cm. long when mature. Two stigmas on each style. 27 Willow, Goat – Salix caprea • Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf – Alternate, 4 – 10cm. long, oval, blue-green, small toothed. Prominent veins, hairless above when mature, and softly hairy below. Length 1.5 to 2 x Width. • Fruit – Very silky texture to hairs carrying many small 28 windborne seeds. Willow, Grey – Salix cinerea

• Very similar to Goat Willow. • 2nd year twigs have raised ridges longitudinally along the stems when bark is peeled off. • Leaves very variable but in general they are narrower than Goat Willow with no rusty hairs below. Length 2 to 4 x Width.

29 Osier, Common – Salix viminalis • Flower

• Mar/Apr, catkins before leaves. Male left, up to 3cm. long, similar to Goat but much slimmer. Female right, up to 3cm. long, similar to Goat but smaller & style/stigmas appear more ‘feathery’ giving them a more ‘messy’ appearance. 30 Osier, Common – Salix viminalis • Leaf/Fruit

• Leaf – Alternate, 10 - 18cm. long, lanceolate, untoothed. Hairless above, silky silvery below. In-rolled leaf margins. Length 7 to 18 x Width. • Fruit – Very silky texture to hairs carrying many small windborne seeds. 31 Willow, White – Salix alba • Flower/Leaf/Fruit • Similar to Crack Willow but twigs are not fragile. • Leaf - Alternate, 5 - 10cm. long, lanceolate, finely toothed. Thick covering of fine silky silvery hairs either on both surfaces or just on undersides. Length 5 to 8 x Width. • Flower & Fruit – Similar to Crack Willow.

Apr/May, catkins are 32 formed with leaves.