Index:
Cattail / Common Cattail
Poales > Typhaceae > Typha latifolia
Bald Cypress
Pinales > Cupressaceae > Taxodium distichum
Silver Poplar / White Poplar
Salicaceae > Populus alba
Box Elder Maple
Sapindaceae > Acer negundo
Silver Maple
Sapindaceae > Acer saccharinum
American Sweetgum
Saxifragales > Altingiaceae > Liquidamber styraciflua
Weeping Willow
Salicaceae > Salix babylonica
- deciduous tree, fast-growing & short lifespan
- narrow leaves in whorled arrangement, serrated edges
- flowers arranged in catkins
Black Locust
Fabaceae > Robina pseudoacacia
- Fabaceae = Bean family (~fava)
- short thorns on twigs are oppositely paired
- Fruit type: legume; 4-5 seeds in long narrow pod
Pennsylvania Blackberry
Rosaceae > Rubus pensilvanicus
- dark red cane/bramble with prickles
- compound leaves
- fruit type: aggregates of black druplets ("berry")
Muscadine
Vitaceae > Vitis rotundifolia
- grape vine; husk
- generally not compatible with other Vitis spp.; and hybrids usually sterile
- Dr. M used to swing on these as a kid
Oriental Bittersweet
Celastraceae > Celastrus orbiculatus
- 'orbiculatus' = refers to almost perfectly circular leaves
- round, glossy leaves arranged alternately
- invasive plant introduced to US
- Fruit type = capsule; with arillate seeds
- 'valves' (pods) are bright yellow with orange/red seed
- characteristic of family = bright red, arille berries
- vibrant color attracts birds?
- plant forms thickets or winds around trees/trunks
- thin, spindly vines can be twisted into wreaths
English Dogwood / Stiff Dogwood
Cornaceae > Cornus foemina
- opposite branching; dogwood-type buds on branch tip
- Red twigs (different from other Cornus spp.)
- Bract = modified leaves resemble "dogwood flower"; actual flower is the center cluster
Red Maple
Sapindaceae > Acer rubrum
- red twig ends emerging form white-grey bark
- typically smaller than other forest trees; although early pioneers
- not restricted to (but dominates) "wet" sites
- teethed leaves have 3 shallow sinuses
- Identifiable by dark scarlet foliage in Fall
- Is able to produce maple syrup; but other Acer spp. are more commonly used
**Dead or wilted leaves are extremely toxic to horses; toxin critically damages RBCs carrying oxygen
Tree of Heaven
Sapindales > Simaroubaceae > Ailanthus altissima
- namesake = latin superlative for "hieght" & "tallest"
- growth form & leaves resemble Sumac
- invasive asian tree
- large, pinnately compound leaves
- stinky pith & wood, leaves smell like rotten peanut butter
- resprouts vigorously after being cut; hard to eradicate
- regeneration = eternal = "heaven" ?
- although a fast growing tree, it is short-lived (~50yrs)
*Roots, leaves and bark are used in traditional Chinese medicine as a cure-all for many ailments.
Black Cherry Tree
Rosaceae > Prunus serotina
- 2 glands a top of petiole
Unidentified Pine: (possible hybrid?)
- white, grey and brown patched bark (similar to Sycamore)
- 3 long, slender needles per fascicle
- rounded cone with spine-tipped edges (armored)
American Persimmon
Ebenaceae > Diospyros virginiana
- Ebenaceae = ebony family
- Square, knobby bark; tall straight tree trunks
- leaves are non-descript, plain elliptical (except for tiny black dots on surface)
- Persimmon = "fruit of the gods"
-Fruit type: globular Berry
- round like a ping-pong ball
- orange in color; with waxy glaucus sheen
- Flesh is astringent while green; sweet when ripe/almost rotten
- nutrient content high in Vitamin C
English Ivy
Araliaceae > Hedera helix
- Sister family to Carrots (Apiaceae)
- invasive vine; has green-yellow umbels rich in nectar
- Fruit type: dark black-purple berries; ripen in winter
- somewhat poisonous to humans; birds disperse seeds
Giant Cane / Canebrake
Poaceae > Arundinaria gigantea
- part of grass family; is a "woody" grass
- Only native bamboo to North America; commonly found in river lowlands
- fan-like cluster of leaves at top of new stems = "top knot"
- Simultaneous synchronized mass flowering, pollination and death occurs every 120 years for large populations
Watercress
Brassicaceae > Nasturtium aquaticum / (N. officinale)
One of the main ingredients in V8 vegetable juice
Snowbells / Snowdrop
Amaryllidaceae > Galanthus nivalis
Lesser Periwinkle
Apocynaceae > Vinca minor
Ostrich Fern
Onocleaceae > Matteuccia struthiopteris
American Sycamore
Platanaceae > Platanus occidentalis