Plant List Flashcards
sweetgum
P1
Family: Altingiaceae
G+S: Liquidambar styraciflua
Deciduous Tree
Facts:
- Alternate leaf arrangement
- palmately lobed simple leaf
- serrate
- palmate veination
- alternate
- cork being formed on twigs (winged)
- brown fruit (resemble gum balls)
- tolerant to many diff soil types, but grows best toward more moist soils toward the bottom of the slopes of upland hardwood forest
- shade intolerant
arrowwood viburnum P1
Family: Adoxaceae
G+S: Viburnum dentatum
deciduous Shrub; grows in wet areas along streams
Facts:
- Opposite leaf arrangement
- distichous and or decussate
- simple leaf
- serrate leaf margin (dentate serration)
- dark fruit; white flowers in spring (get berries after flowering)
saw palmetto
P1
Family: Arecaceae
G+S: Serenoa repens
Evergreen Shrub
Facts:
- alternate leaf arrangement (spiraled)
- simple palmately lobed leaf
- saw teeth on petiole
- tip of leaf split
- may not see trunk in south (can be higher more north)
- parallel veination
southern catalpa
P1
Family: Bignoniaceae
G+S: Catalpa bignonioides
deciduous Tree
Facts:
- leaves 5-12 in ; can get very large; variable leaf size
- opposite or whorled leaf arrangement
- bell shaped flower white w/ purple
- bark reddish brown scales
- whorled (one of the few)
- dry capsule fruit
- flowers in the summer – at tip of branch : terminal inflorescence
- gray bark
mimosa
P1
Family: Fabaceae
G+S: Albizia julibrissin
Deciduous Tree
Facts:
- bipinnately compound
- mid vein offset
- alternate leaf arrangement
- margin entire
- V shaped trunks
- bark smooth with gray/white blotches
- leaflets sessile
trumpet creeper
P1
Family: Bignoniaceae
G+S: Campsis radicans
Deciduous Vine
Facts: -odd Pinnately compound leaf -opposite leaf arrangement -serrate leaf margins -groove or dip in rachis -fruit pods -tubular flower rusty orange/red in color Z
tulip poplar
P1
Family: Magnoliaceae
G+S: Liriodendron tulipifera
Deciduous Tree
Facts:
- alternate leaf arrangement spiraled
- circular stipular scar
- terminal is located where large stipule (part of leaf) is (can be persistent or ?)
- truncate leaf shape
- one of the tallest an fastest (tallest tree in southeast) growing trees
- found in moist areas
- smooth
flowering dogwood
P1
Family: Cornaceae
G+S: Cornus florida
Deciduous tree
Facts:
- majority have opposite leaf arrangement
- simple leaf entire margin
- sq. platelets on bark
- veins turn up toward the leaf margin
- sinuate (wavy)
- elliptical
- branches opposite
- sympodial branching
- terminal buds… Ones that are big round and fat will flower
- flowers YELLOW
- red fruit
- older bark (lower) darker than young bark that is more gray
- commonly grows as scattered understory species in mesic deciduous woods of floodplains, slopes, bluffs and ravines.
red maple
P1
Family: Sapindaceae
G+S: Acer rubrum
Deciduous tree med to large
Facts:
- Opposite leaf arrangement; decussate can also have distichous on the same plant
- widest at base
- serrate margin
- 3-5 lobes
eastern redbud
P1
Family: Fabaceae
G+S: Cercis canadensis
Deciduous tree
Facts:
- alternate leaf arrangement
- cordate shaped leaves
- simple leaf
- entire margins
- lagume (multiple lagumes in cluster hanging with pink to white panicle flower (not a petal - looking at stamens) late winter early spring) fruit at the axil of the leaf
- v shape
- lenticels
- found in many forest types throughout eastern US ( not a common component)
- shade tolerant
eastern hophornbeam
P2
Family: Betulaceae
Ostrya virginiana
Deciduous tree
Facts:
- double serrate margin
- pubescent leaves
- shreddy bark can be muscle like in more mature trees
- simple leaf
- dark lines on bud
- alternate leaf arrangement (always with this family)
- monoecious plant
- catkins- thin male -may turn into hops female
- more mesic soils; usually scattered in the understory of hardwood forest
longleaf pine
P1
Family: Pinaceae
G+S: Pinus palustris
Evergreen Tree
Facts:
- 3 needles per fascicle -11in length appx.
- thick twigs; about size of thumb
- holds needles at tip of branches
- long cone; not held for more than one season
- fall terminal bud white; covered in juvenile white scales
common persimmon
P2
Family: Ebenaceae
Diospyros virginiana
Deciduous tree
Facts:
- simple leaf
- alternate leaf arrangement
- margin entire
- cinnamon color on young bark
- dioecious female and male flowers; white/greenish male flowers; urn shaped female flowers
- orange fruit
- forms a lateral bud
- dry bud scales hang on look on slide
- platelet bark
- yellow to orange or purple color in fall
- colonial
- leaf size variableat
poison sumac
P2
Family: Anacardiaceae
Toxicodendron vernix
Deciduous tree
Facts:
- alternate leaf arrangement
- margin entire
- odd pinnately compound
- pinnae opposite (but actual leaf arrangement alternate)
- red petiole the more sun exposure the redder
- round rachis
- little black spots on bark (identifier in winter)
- cells of stomata become corky
- wetland species
- if freq fire can be shorter waist high
- white fruit very small
- yellow green flowers
white oak
P2
Family: Fagaceae
Quercus alba
Deciduous tree
Facts:
- White oak group
- simple leaf
- acorns produced on current seasons growth
- rounded lobes and sinuses
- oaks have clustering buds
- alternate arrangement
- intermediate intolerance to shade
Fagaceae
Quercus alba
Very even lobes
Sinuses get deeper on older leaves
Papery leaf
Green underside
bald cypress
P2
Family: Cupressaceae
Taxodium distichum
Deciduous tree
Facts:
- two distinct row
- alternate leaf arrangement
- simple
- flowing water
- cones greenish
- catkans late winter early spring (female out at tips)
- branchlets — leaves are the tiny appendages
sand live oak
P2
Family: Fagaceae
Quercus geminata
Evergreen tree
Facts:
- simple leaf
- alternate arrangement
- white oak group
Evergreen White oak group Simple Alternate Revolute margin Cupped margin also usually waved Viviparous acorn seed/embryo never stops growing Long and pointed acorn brown when mature White hairs on underside of leaf
Fringetree
P2
Oleaceae
Chionanthus virginicus
Deciduous tree
Opposite leaf arrangement Lenticels Dark petiole purple to black Decussate Occurs in mesic soils Dioecious two houses Wind pollinated longer male inflorescence shorter female inflorescence White flowers occurs in the spring Dark blue/purple drupe Yellow fall color
wild azalea
P2
Family: Ericaceae
Rhododendron canescens
Facts:
Deciduous shrub
Alternate Simple Tubular White to deep pink flowers (more white more pure more pink more hybridized) Well drained soils with low ph Very fine and web by root system Really fat bud next years bud Below small bud vegetative bud Sympodial branching Identify by branching and buds in winter
southern magnolia
P2
Family: Magnoliaceae
Magnolia grandiflora
Evergreen tree
Facts:
Pubescent underside
Stipular scar
Leathery leaf u
Large white flowers that occur on the terminals of branches
Gray to black bark… Typically smooth
- found in upland hardwood forest in mesic sites where fire is rare, but grows best on rich loamy moist soils along streams and swamps.
- moderately tolerant of shade, needs more light when it is older
Florida maple
P2
Family: Sapindaceae
Acer saccharum subsp. floridanum
Deciduous tree
Facts:
- opposite leaf arrangement
- simple
- terminal margin largest at apex
- 5 lobe leaf character
- open branch arrangement
- entire margin
- sometimes pubescent in spring (not at this time of year)
- doesnt like dry sandy soils; likes rich or mesic soils of hardwood forest
- shade tolerant; fire intolerant
yaupon
P3
Aquifoliaceae
Ilex vomitoria
Evergreen shrub
Facts:
- alternate arrangement
- simple type
- ovate shape
- crenate margin
- white flowers occur in leaf axils in spring
- small red fruit
- smooth gray twigs
- ALL Ilex’s are alternate and dioecious
- found in mesic and dry communities (drops out in wetter areas)
sugarberry
P3
Cannabaceae
Celtis laevigata
Deciduous tree
Facts:
- alternate
- ovate / lanceolate with tapering tip
- leaves light green
- margins entire (younger leaves may have serration)
- often unequal lateral base
- bark smooth and gray at top; corky at bottom/base
- small fruit red, occurs in axils of leaves
- in winter look for bud leaf scar
- 3 major veins originate from petiole point of attachment
- serrate leaves become more entire on more mature areas of plant
- grow in soils pH 7,8 and 9
- shade tolerant species found scattered in upland hardwood forest; most often found on clayey soils of floodplains of major rivers
pond cypress
P3
Cupressaceae
Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium
Deciduous conifer
Facts:
-no fruit (gymnosperms)
-alternate spiraled needles as juvenile, the mature plant’s needles point upward but are still spiraled
-associated with depressional wetland areas w/o moving water
-female cones are round and green and become brown
then brown and shatter when ripe
-needles turn golden brown in the fall
-as trees mature, needles become appressed
If seedling will see juvenile characteristic with needles being distichous
Knees lower and fatter- dont have sharp tip
sparkleberry
P3
Ericaceae
Vaccinium arboreum
Evergreen shrub (in south ; deciduous north range)
Facts:
- alternate
- leaf shape variable; usually oval or elliptical
- some pubescence below leaves
- margin entire to very finely serrate
- leaf size variable
- bark thin, flaky, brownish red
- trunk can grow single or multi stemmed
- flowers white and bell shaped
- fruit round and black when ripe
- very webbed rooting system
- grow in low pH
- leaf size (1/2 in to 2 1/2 in ) and shape variable
- juvenile green berries / mature berries black
- grows on very dry sterile hillsides and it also occurs in moist and mesic sites close to wet bottomland sand creek banks; occurs in pine Flatwoods and pine scrub comm, but is short and multi trunks in those pine fire maintained comm; in mesic upland hardwood forest with fire suppression has taller tree form.
- very shade tolerant
- ***ALL Vacciniums have alternate leaf arrangement and bell shaped flowers
- growth form varies: can be tree like or shrub like
swamp laurel oak
P3
Fagaceae
Quercus laurifolia
Deciduous to semi evergreen
Facts:
- red oak group
- leaves broad lanceolate
- unlobed – have bristle tip
- acorns start green and mature to blackish brown- bitter to taste
- occurs in alluvial floodplains
sand laurel oak
P3
Fagaceae
Quercus hemisphaerica
Semi evergreen to evergreen tree
Facts:
- red oak group
- occur in sandy areas
- acorns hemispheric shape
- acorns previous seasons growth
- elliptical
- no pubescence
- flexible leaf- can bend and it will not break
- grows on dry sandy sites and it is also on mesic and xeric hammocks sites
american beautyberry
P3
Lamiaceae
Callicarpa americana
Deciduous shrub
Facts:
- opposite leaves decussate
- pubescent
- serrate margins
- small lavender pink flowers cymes clustered in axils of leaves from June - August
- gray stems with prominent lenticels
- purple or white berries on stem
- very prominent lenticels … Not perfectly rounded; long
Lamiaceae is mint family
spruce pine
P3
Pinaceae
Pinus glabra
Evergreen conifer
Facts:
- does not occur in pure pine forests; usually found as scattered (among loblolly) tree in moist woodland habitats in mixed hardwood forests
- adapted greater shade tolerance than other pine species
- needles dark green
- 2 needles per fascicle are twistedand 1 1/2 to 4 in long (rarely longer than palm of hand)
- small cones 1-2 in long armed with prickles
- cones are open and hang on for a few years, but tend to be high up in canopy (whereas with sand pine, cones found throughout canopy
- silvery grayness on bark
- not fire tolerant
loblolly pine
P3
Pinaceae
Pinus taeda
Evergreen conifer
Facts:
- needles 3 (ocassionally 2) per fascicle; 5 to 8 in long
- GRAY sessile cones start green before turning gray; around 5 in long; sharp awns
- cones persist on tree until third year of growth (so expect to see cones in canopy)
- platey bark dark brown older trees (young trees bark nearly black)
- 2 to 3 years worth of cones in canopy (only noticeable in mature trees)
- found in the upper edges of upland hardwood forest
- shade intolerant; starts out moderately tolerant, but becomes intolerant with age
- fire intolerant
**Length of needles usually around the width of a piece of paper
black cherry
P3
Rosaceae
Prunus serotina
Deciduous tree
Facts:
- alternate leaves 2 to 6 in long
- simple leaf
- finely serrate
- small white flowers with five petals and 20 stamens; 40 flowers on each raceme
- drupe fruit green to red to start then turning black
- bark is thin and striped horizontally for first decade, then replaced with thick peally bark that looks like burnt cornflakes when tree matures
- shade intolerant
american elm
P3
Ulmaceae
Ulmus americana
Deciduous tree
Facts:
- alternate arrangement
- simple leaf
- doubly serrate margin
- oblique base
- base of tree has noticeable flared support roots
- bark on young trees smooth, but becomes distinctly ridged and furrowed with age
- capable of self pollination
- small purple brown flowers; because they are wind pollinated, they are apetalous; flowers emerge early spring before leaves
- fruit is a flat samara
- upper surface feels like cat tongue
Side note all leaves out on current seasons growth tells you it’s deciduous
camphortree P4
Lauraceae
Cinnamomum camphora
Evergreen tree
Facts:
- alternate arrangement
- simple leaf
- leaf margin entire
- leaf is sinuate
- angular stem
- 3 major veins originate just above point of leaf attachment
- crushed leaves smell like camphor oil (this includes seedlings)
- Bark ridged and furrowed
- Twigs are green for multiple years worth of growth and feel very smooth
- Non native invasive species
- Shade tolerant species
- small white flowers
- clusters of black cherry like fruit
Side note: plants in Lauraceae family have fruit and flowers that occur in axils
carolina laurelcherry P4
Rosaceae
Prunus caroliniana
Evergreen
Facts:
- alternate
- simple
- leaves are elliptical to oblanceolate
- margins usually entire, but sometimes start out finely serrate before they become entire
- shiny gland on underside of leaf (2 small dots at the base on each side of midrib
- white or cream colored flowers are produced racemes
- fruit are black cherries
- dark green and glossy leaves
- leaves smell like maraschino cherry when crushed
- small stipules
- upper slopes of upland hardwood or slope forest
- very shade tolerant
waxmyrtle P4
Myricaceae
Morella cerifera
Evergreen
Facts:
- Alternate spiral
- simple leaf
- margins serrate
- Fragrant when crushed
- leaves are aromatic and glandular: Orange dots on the underside of leaf
- Gray smooth bark
- Dioecious
- Catkins up and down stem look on slide for difference in m/f catkins; males have 3 to 4 stamens and are surrounded by short bracts / females develop into globular fruit that are surrounded by wax like coating
- flower color??? Yellow/green? Need to ask Mack
- leaves have leathery texture
swamp chestnut oak P4
Fagaceae
Quercus michauxii
Deciduous
White oak group
Facts:
- alternate
- simple
- margins crenate
- pinnate venation; 9 to 14 parallel lateral veins on each side of leaf
- obovate leaf shape
- leaves are green and shiny above and pale and hairy below
- monoecious; male flowers long yellow green catkins and female flowers are reddish located in the axils
- cluster if buds; if dissect there is star pattern
- mixed hardwood forests; shade intolerant (per week 7 upland hardwood forest lecture; however in the week 5 plant list 4 images, the notes say that is a shade tolerant) species – needs openings
- well drained loamy site at the bottom ridges bases of mesic slopes
water oak P4
Fagaceae
Quercus nigra
Deciduous (to semi evergreen in warmer ranges)
Red oak group
Facts:
- alternate
- simple
- mature leaves usually three lobed (sometimes resemble duck feet)
- margins entire
- tuffs of hair on underside of leaf at mid rib
- occurs primarily in bottomland forests and hydric communities on levees , high ridges, and elevated margins of swamps, rivers where there is frequent flooding and rapid draining
redbay P4
Lauraceae
Persea borbonia
Evergreen
Facts:
- alternate
- simple
- lanceolate shaped leaves
- spicy odor when crushed
- ***angled twigs
- short panicle flowers with 6 greenish yellow perianth segments
-fruit: oval pair shaped blue or black drupe
- bark dark and plate like with age
- may have some pale pubescence on underside of leaf with rusty hairs on midrib (but lighter than the pubescence on Persia palustris, which it is often confused with)
- also often confused with sweetbay
magnolia BUT look for round stems, stipular scars, and flowers that occur at terminals when identifying sweetbay
- found in swamp forest and also found all the way up to mesic areas on slopes of hardwood
***Lauraceae family has flowers and fruit that occur in the axils of leaves and angular twigs
swamp bay P4
Lauraceae
Persea palustris
Evergreen
Facts:
- alternate
- simple
- entire margins
- lance shaped leaves
- spicy odor when crushed
- ***cinnamon pubescence on the veins on underside of leaves (darker than the hairs on redbay)
- often confused with redbay— use difference in pubescence to identify between the two
- round lenticels on younger twigs
- fruit dark blue drupe
- flowers small light yellow green
- bark reddish brown with furrows
sweetbay magnolia P4
Magnoliaceae
Magnolia virginiana
Evergreen in our area / deciduous in northern range
Facts:
- alternate
- simple
- margin entire
- flowers creamy white vanilla scented (like flower of southern magnolia, but smaller)
- fruit is an aggregate with seeds that are that are black *but covered with red fleshy coat – so the appear red
- stipular scar
slash pine P4
Pinaceae
Pinus elliottii
Evergreen
Facts:
- 2 and 3 needles per fascicle; 7 to 10 in long
- cones 6-8 per mack in field (says 3 to 6 in on image slide) in long; short stalked; cinnamon caramel colored
- awns on cones are not as sharp as awns on loblolly pine
- bark reddish brown (not really a good identifier unless you are looking at really mature/ old plants
- cones dropped every year fall/winter (don’t expect to see as many of them in canopy as you would with loblolly)
- monoecious plant
- needles go further back on stems than on other pines
live oak P4
Fagaceae
Quercus virginiana
Evergreen
White oak group
Facts:
- alternate
- simple
- margin revolute
- young juvenile leaves may have marginal spines (but this tree is still white oak group)
- leaves shiny dark green on top and the bottoms are pale gray to to green (not as hairy as sand live oak)
- leaf shape elliptical or linear
- bark furrowed and ridged
- common in maritime forests (very salt tolerant); also occurs in hammocks bordering coastal and inland marshes
- intermediate shade tolerance
red buckeye P4
Sapindaceae
Aesculus pavia
Deciduous
Facts:
- palmately compound leaf; generally 5 leaflets
- Opposite arrangement as well as opposite branching structure
- leaves serrate
- Variable growth form. Can be low single trunk tree, shrubby or can be single trunk tree 20 ft tall
- in fall identify by opposite bud scars, opposite branch pattern and large terminal buds
- 5 to 7 long clusters of dark red tubular flowers; flowers are hermaphrodites
- smooth light brown fruit about 1.5 inches in diameter
eastern poison oak P5
Anacardiaceae
Toxicodendron pubescens
Shrub deciduous or evergreen?
Facts:
- pinnately compound leaves (w/ three leaflets on each)
- leaves usually pubescent
- leaf shape and size variable, but the shape usually resembles white oak leaves
- alternate arrangement
- white/gray drupes
- small round yellowish/greenish fruit
adam’s needle P5
Asparagaceae
Yucca filamentosa
Evergreen
Facts:
- simple leaf
- alternate arrangement spiraled
- large tubular stem underground
- leaf blade 12 to 18 in
- white bell shaped flowers
- this plant tells you that the soil is very xeric and low nutrient
- white threads (filaments) on leaf margins
water tupelo P5
Cornaceae
Nyssa aquatica
deciduous
Facts:
- simple leaves ( 3 to 10 in long)
- alternate arrangement
- pinnate venation
- shape oblong to ovate
- entire margins, but may a few large teeth
- greenish to white flowers
- fruit is a reddish to purple drupe (fruit much larger than fruit of blackgum)
- found in wetland habitats
swamp tupelo P5
Cornaceae
Nyssa biflora
deciduous ?
Facts:
- simple leaf (3 to 6 in long)
- leaf shape narrowly obovate
- margins entire
- alternate arrangement
- small pale green flower – males occur in large clusters – females 1 to 3 flowers
- fruit dark purplish blue drupe (ridges on pit)
- bark grayish brown (with ridges when tree gets older )
- trunk swollen at base at wetland communities
- narrow crown
- medium size tree
- tends to be down in the wet areas
- typically two flowers and two fruit
- nyssas one of the first to start showing fall color
blackgum P5
Cornaceae
Nyssa sylvatica
deciduous?
Facts:
- simple
- alternate
- entire
- glabrous
- flowers in clusters of 2 to 14
- sandier environments
Separated per Dr T’s email given the two species separate names instead of var.
shiny blueberry P5
Ericaceae
Vaccinium myrsinites
Evergreen
Facts:
- alternate arrangement
- simple leaves
- shape obovate to elliptic
- not more an inch in length– usually smaller
- can reddish tint to twigs and leaves in the fall
- glabrous no hairs
- margin finely serrate
- flower small and urn shaped that is pink to white – flowers in spring
- fruit small red to black drupe
- colonial plant
- young twigs green to red tinted
- ground cover plant
- spreads by rhizomes
running oak P5
Fagaceae
Quercus pumila
Deciduous shrub
Facts:
White oak group
- alternate
- simple
- leaves flat long and linear with revolute margin
- sparse to uniform pubescence
- leaf underside white to gray – upper side shiny
- sessile acorns (dwarf live oak has stalked acorns)
- usually no more than knee high, but can be up to waist high
- occurs in wet to mesic areas
bluejack oak P5
Fagaceae
Quercus incana
deciduous
Red oak group
Facts:
- alternate arrangement
- simple leaf type
- no pubescence
- leaves blueish tint on top– grayish/white underneath!!
- leaf shape narrow elliptical
- sinuate up toward tip of leaf
- male flowers are yellow greening catkin 2 to 3 in long – female flower are green to reddish very small spike in leaf axil
- fruit is an acorn
- bark is blocky and dark- nearly black
- found in deep sandy soils
- juvenile leaves can have bristle tip, but not as wild looking as sand post oak juvenile bristling
turkey oak P5
Fagaceae
Quercus laevis
deciduous
Red oak group
Facts:
- simple leaf type
- alternate arrangement
- 3 to 7 lobes (deeply incised between lobes)
- leaf base is V shard
- leaves are shiny (glabrous) and there is NO pubescence on the undersides
- leaves turned sideways
- cluster of buds at the stem (common oak feature)
- usually occurs in nutrient poor dry sandy soils (Sandhills)
