Ulmaceae – elm family Ulmus! americana American elm

Sight ID characteristics Vegetative Features: • Leaf: simple, alternate, deciduous, 3-6" long, ovate-obovate to elliptical with a doubly serrate margin, acuminate apex, oblique base and a sandpaper like texture. • Twig: slender, glabrous, slightly zigzag, reddish brown; buds ovate, over 1/4 inch long, reddish brown with darker edged scales. • Bark: grayish and is separated into fissures on mature trees. • Form: vase shaped. Reproductive Features: • Monoecious, flowers borne on long pedicles in fascicles of 3-4, before leaves. • Fruits are approximately 1/2" long, ciliate, flattened, oval samaras with a notched apex.

89 NOTES AND SKETCHES

90 Ulmaceae – elm family CULTIVATED Ulmus! pumila escaped Siberian elm naturalized invasive Sight ID characteristics Vegetative Features: • Leaf: simple, alternate, deciduous, 1-3" long, elliptical and only slightly oblique at the base with a singly serrate margin (most elms are doubly serrate). • Twig: slender, slightly zigzag, grayish; buds small (1/8”), dark reddish-gray, round. • Bark: irregularly furrowed, light grayish brown. • Form: vase shaped. Reproductive Features: • Monoecious, flowers borne on long pedicles in fascicles of 3-4, before leaves. • Fruit is approximately 1/2" long, nearly round, glabrous samara with a deep apical notch.

91 NOTES AND SKETCHES

92 Cannabaceae Celtis! reticulata netleaf hackberry

Sight ID characteristics Vegetative Features: • Leaf: simple, alternate, deciduous, 2-4" long, ovate with conspicuous net-like (reticulate) venation patterns and margins with widely spaced teeth. • Twig: slender, zigzag, brown with numerous lighter lenticels, pubescent when young, chambered pith. • Bark: tan to gray with conspicuous warting on younger trees, but becomes corky and ridged on older trees. • Form: scraggly, small tree / large shrub. Reproductive Features: • Monoecious, small flowers borne in leaf axils – inconspicuous, wind pollinated. • Fruit is a drupe about 1/4-3/8" long with sweet flesh.

93 NOTES AND SKETCHES

94 Moraceae - fig family CULTIVATED Morus! alba escaped white mulberry naturalized invasive Sight ID characteristics Vegetative Features: • Leaf: simple, alternate, deciduous, stipulate, roughly orbicular in shape, 3 to 6 inches long with a serrate margin, often irregularly lobed, smooth above; milky latex evident in broken petiole of young leaves. • Twig: slender, zigzag, gray to orange-brown, smooth, buds reddish brown with numerous scales. • Bark: orange-brown with lenticels when young, becoming gray with long narrow irregular ridges. • Form: small tree up to 40". Reproductive Features: • Dioecious – flowers small, green catkins, male catkins narrow, 1 to 2” long; female catkins plump, 1” long. • Fruit resembling blackberries; cylindrical, 1 - 1 1/4” long, fleshy multiple of drupes, pale pink to dark red (not as juicy as red mulberry - Morus rubra), with sweet flesh.

95 NOTES AND SKETCHES

96 Moraceae - fig family Maclura! pomifera osage orange

Sight ID characteristics Vegetative Features: • Leaf: alternate, simple, pinnately veined, 2 to 5 inches long, oblong to ovate with an acuminate tip, margins entire, upper surface shiny. • Twig: zigzag, green changing to buff or orange-brown, armed with stout, unbranched thorns at each node; milky sap is exuded when cut. • Bark: Bark orange-brown, developing scaly ridges with irregular furrows. • Form: medium sized tree with a short trunk. The crown is irregular, with stiff, spiny branches. Reproductive Features: • Dioecious; flowers inconspicuous, females borne in dense, globose, clusters, males borne in subglobose racemes. • Fruit a large, round multiple of drupes 3 to 5 inches in diameter, with a very distinctive citrus smell; the outer surface looks like "brains"; when crushed, a white, milky latex is exuded.

97 NOTES AND SKETCHES

98 Anacardiaceae - cashew family Rhus! glabra smooth sumac

Sight ID characteristics Vegetative Features: • Leaf: alternate, deciduous, pinnately compound, 1-2' long with 11-31 lanceolate leaflets with serrate margins. • Twig: Stout with large pithy core, glabrous and glaucescent, milky sap and small, scaleless buds. • Bark: gray-brown, smooth, becomes scaly on older plants. • Form: many-trunked small tree / large shrub. Reproductive Features: • Dioecious, female flowers small, white, borne in terminal panicles. • Fruits 1/8" long, pubescent, red drupes that may remain on the tree for several months.

99 NOTES AND SKETCHES

100 Anacardiaceae - cashew family Rhus! typhina staghorn sumac

Sight ID characteristics Vegetative Features: • Leaf: alternate, deciduous, pinnately compound, 1-2' long, 11-31 lanceolate leaflets with serrate margins - rachis pubescent. • Twig: Stout with large pithy core, densely pubescent – resembling deer antlers in velvet, milky sap and small, scaleless buds. • Bark: remaining pubescent for several years, turning gray- brown and much later becoming scaly. • Form: many-trunked small tree / large shrub. Reproductive Features: • Dioecious, female flowers small, yellow-green, borne in terminal panicles. • Fruits 1/8" long, pubescent, red drupes that may remain on the tree for several months.

101 NOTES AND SKETCHES

102 Anacardiaceae - cashew family Toxicodendron! poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac T. radicans, T. diversilobum, T. vernix Sight ID characteristics Vegetative Features: • Leaf: deciduous with compound leaves, T. vernix has pinnately compound leaves with 5-13 leaflets (like Rhus), others have ternately compound leaves. • Form: low (6 to 18 inches) spreading "carpet" on the forest floor, climbing vine, or small to medium-sized shrub. Reproductive Features: • Monoecious – small, yellowish-green flowers arranged in a panicle • Fruit a cream-colored drupe, #” inch in diameter arranged in panicle.

103 NOTES AND SKETCHES

104 Elaeagnaceae – oleaster family CULTIVATED Elaeagnus! angustifolia escaped Russian olive naturalized invasive Sight ID characteristics Vegetative Features: • Leaf: simple, alternate, deciduous, 1 to 3” long, 1/2” wide, linear-lanceolate, entire margin; dull green to gray and distinctly scaly above, silvery and scaly below. • Twig: young branches are silvery and scaly, often with thorns, later developing a shiny light brown color. • Bark: smooth and gray when young, becoming irregularly ridged and furrowed later. • Form: shrub or small tree to 40". Reproductive Features: • Flowers axillary, bell-shaped (campanulate), 3/8 to 5/8” long, very fragrant, yellow - lacking petals (showy sepals). • Fruits are drupe-like achenes, reddish brown, glaucous, edible and sweet but dry.

105 NOTES AND SKETCHES

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