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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)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Alternate Leaves.(I to Z)
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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.
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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
tip.
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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.
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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.
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Osier, Common – Salix viminalis
• See Section on Willows for Details
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Plane, London – Platanus x hispanica
• Flower
• May, with leaves.
Male (left) and
female separate,
in small globular
clusters about
1cm. dia.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Poplar, Black – Populus nigra
• General
• Flower, Leaf & Fruit – Similar to Hybrid - Characteristic deeply fissured bark.
• Leaf - Alternate, 5 – 10cm. long, triangular, toothed (but not hooked), & hairless. Length>Width
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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.
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Poplar, Lombardy – Populus nigra ‘Italica’
• General
• Flower, Leaf and Fruit – Similar to Hybrid.
• Leaf - Alternate, - smaller than hybrid. Often Length<Width
• Tree has characteristic columnar shape.
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Poplar, White – Populus alba
• Leaf/Flower/Fruit
• Leaf - Alternate, typically 4 – 10cm. long, palmate lobed, toothed, but very variable. When mature, hairless above, white & woolly below.
• Flower & Fruit – Similar to Hybrid.
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Whitebeam, Common – Sorbus aria
• Flower
• May/June after leaf. White in terminal clusters
with 5 petals, 6 – 8mm. dia.
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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.
dia.
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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.
dia.
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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.
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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.
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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
windborne seeds.
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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.
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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.
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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
windborne seeds.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 formed with leaves.