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Trees
and shrubs
WARNING:
At least two species of wetland shrubs cause a skin rash in most
people: poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) and poison sumac (Toxicodendron
vernix). Read their
species descriptions before handling specimens of unknown identities.
1.
Leaves opposite, sub-opposite,
or whorled…2
1.
Leaves alternate or clustered on spur
shoots or near branch tips …25
2.
Leaves compound
…3
2.
Leaves simple …7
3.
Leaflets deeply serrate-lobed
…Acer
negundo (box elder)
3.
Leaflets entire-coarsely
serrate …4
4.
Leaves trifoliolate …Staphylea
trifolia (bladdernut)
4.
Leaves with > 3 leaflets …5
5.
Leaflets coarsely serrate; petiole distinctly grooved above …Sambucus
canadensis (elderberry)
5.
Leaflets serrate or entire; petiole indistinctly grooved or ungrooved
above …6
6.
Small tree, commonly with several trunks; leaflets not infrequently
broadly ovate or obovate; fruit with very broad wings …Fraxinus
caroliniana (pop ash/Carolina ash)
6.
Large tree; leaflets elliptic, lanceolate, ovate; fruit with narrow
wings …Fraxinus
pennsylvanica (green ash/red ash)
7.
Leaves palmately lobed …8
7.
Leaves unlobed …9
8.
Margins of central leaf lobe toothed, leaves reddish or green in autumn
…Acer
rubrum (red maple)
8.
Margins of central leaf lobe entire or nearly so, leaves brownish in
autumn …Acer
barbatum (southern sugar maple)
9.
Stems arching , frequently rooting at tips …Decodon
verticillatus
(water willow)
9.
Stems erect, not rooting at tips …10
10.
Stems green throughout, squarrish in cross-section …Euonymus
americanus (strawberry bush)
10.
Stems lt. green, brown-gray or reddish throughout all or most of
length,not squarrish in cross-section …11
11.
At least some leaves whorled
…12
11.
All leaves opposite
…13
12.
Stipule (s) frequently persistent, triangular, >1mm
long, between bases of opposite lvs; stipular scar evident if stipule
has fallen; lvs. > 2.8 cm wide,green …Cephalanthus
occidentalis
(buttonbush)
12.
Stipule and stipular scar
lacking; lvs. < 2.8 cm wide, bluish/grayish green; CP only …Kalmia
carolina (Carolina kalmia)
13.
Leaves somewhat leathery; CP only …Kalmia
carolina (Carolina kalmia)
13.
Leaves foliaceous
...14
14.
Major pinnate veins arching such that the tip of each vein is nearer the
midvein than is the middle portion …15
14.
Major pinnate veins not arching as above …17
15.
Pith
of 2 yr.-old stem segments white …Cornus
foemina (swamp dogwood)
15.
Pith of 2 yr.-old stem
segments brown …16
16.
Upper leaf surface smooth; abaxial vein surfaces reddish-brown …Cornus
amomum (silky dogwood)
16.
Upper leaf surface rough; abaxial vein surfaces greenish …Cornus
asperifolia (rough-leaf dogwood)
17.
Axillary buds evident, naked
or valvate
…18
17.
Lateral buds evident or buried, if evident then with imbricate
scales (not evident) …21
18.
Leaf
scar with a single bundle
scar; star-shaped
hairs on stem & petiole …Callicarpa
americana (French mulberry/beautyberry)
18.
Leaf scar with >3 bundle scars; star-shaped hairs lacking …19
19.
Leaves entire or undulate, upper surface somewhat glossy …Viburnum
nudum
(possum-haw)
19.
Leaves toothed …20
20.
Leaf margins finely serrate
…Viburnum
prunifolium (black-haw)
20.
Leaf margins coarsely serrate-dentate …Viburnum
dentatum (arrow-wood)
21.
Leaf margins sharply dentate
or dentate-serrate;
lateral veins prominent, ending
in the marginal teeth …Viburnum
dentatum (arrow-wood)
21.
Leaf margins entire or toothed but not sharply dentate or
dentate-serrate; lateral veins not prominent into marginal teeth …22
22.
Triangular stipule
>1mm long between bases of opposite lvs., stipular scar
evident if stipule has fallen; often rooted in water …Cephalanthus
occidentalis
(buttonbush)
22.
Stipule and stipular scar not as above, possibly lacking …23
23.
Stem with dense cover of star-shaped
hairs …Callicarpa
americana (French mulberry/beautyberry)
23.
Stem lacking star-shaped hairs … 24
24.
Petioles 1-2 cm long; blade rhombic,
acuminate,
basally tapered; CP of S. Carolina …Forestiera
acuminata (swamp privet)
24.
Petioles < 1 cm long; blade elliptic
or oval, apically obtuse,
not noticeably basally tapered …Ligustrum
sinense (Chinese privet)
25.
Stems lacking prickles, spines, and thorns …29
26.
Leaves simple
…Bumelia
lycioides
(buckthorn bumelia)
26.
Leaves compound
…27
27.
Thorns > 3 cm long; species in S. Carolina but not in N. Carolina …Gleditsia
aquatica (water locust)
27.
Spines or prickles < 3 cm long …28
28.
Petiole
and leaf
scar nearly completely encircling stem …Aralia
spinosa (hercules club/ devil’s walking stick)
28.
Petiole and leaf scar not nearly completely encircling stem; often
rooted in water …Rosa
palustris (swamp rose)
29.
Leaves compound
…30
29.
Leaves simple
…37
30.
Leaves trifoliolate
(WARNING: Plant contact causes skin rash) …Toxicodendron
radicans (poison ivy)
30.
Leaves with >3 leaflets
…31
31.
Leaflets entire;
petiole reddish; primarily CP (WARNING: Plant contact causes skin rash)
…Toxicodendron
vernix (poison sumac)
31.
Leaflets serrate;
petiole not reddish …32
32.
Mature plant < 4’ tall; inner bark bright yellow; leaves clustered
at stem tips …Xanthorhiza
simplicissima (yellowroot)
32.
Mature plant > 4’ tall; inner bark not bright yellow; leaves
distributed along stems …33
33.
Leaflets usually falcate;
bud scales valvate
…34
33.
Leaflets not falcate; bud
scales imbricate
…35
34.
Leaflets usually 7-9, 1-8.5 cm wide; terminal leaflet usually sessile;
bud scales sulfur-yellow* …Carya
cordiformis (bitternut hickory)
34.
Leaflets usually >9; 1-4.5 cm wide; terminal leaflet usually stalked;
bud scales yellow-brown; primarily CP …Carya
aquatica (water hickory)
35.
Bark shaggy; leaflet margins with persistent tufts of hairs on teeth …Carya
ovata (shagbark hickory)
35.
Bark smooth or shallowly ridged; leaflet margins lacking tufts of
hairs on teeth …36
36.
Petiole and rachis
hairy …Carya
alba (mockernut hickory)
36.
Petiole and rachis glabrous
…Carya
glabra (pignut hickory)
37.
Stipular
scars completely encircling stem …38
37.
Stipular scars absent or, if present, then not as above …40
38.
Leaves distinctly 4-lobed …Liriodendron
tulipifera (tuliptree/yellow poplar/tulip poplar)
38.
Leaves unlobed or lobes not distinctly 4-lobed …39
39.
Leaves whitish below, distinctly alternate,
leathery; primarily CP …Magnolia
virginiana (sweet bay)
39.
Leaves green-pale green below, clustered at ends of twigs, arrangement
indistinct, not distinctly leathery; primarily P & M but widely
scattered in CP …Magnolia
tripetala (umbrella magnolia)
40.
Golden, sessile
glands (handlens) on bottom surface of leaf blades …41
40.
Golden, sessile glands absent from bottom surface of leaf blades (if
glands present, then not golden or sessile) …44
41.
At least some leaf blades serrate-undulate
in apical portion …42
41.
All leaves entire
or nearly so …43
42.
Golden glands on both leaf surfaces …Myrica
cerifera (wax myrtle)
42.
Golden glands on only lower leaf surface …Myrica
heterophylla (bayberry)
43.
Plant 3-9 dm tall; bottom surface of leaves
glaucous;
branch tips glabrous
or nearly so …Gaylussacia
frondosa (dangleberry)
43.
Plant 1-4 dm tall; bottom surface of leaves not glaucous; branch tips
hairy – glandular …Gaylussacia
dumosa (dwarf huckleberry)
44.
All leaves deeply palmately lobed …45
44.
Most or all leaves unlobed, shallowly lobed, pinnately lobed or toothed
…46
45.
Bark mottled green/white/brown; crushed leaves not aromatic …Platanus
occidentalis
(sycamore)
45.
Bark not mottled; crushed leaves aromatic …Liquidambar
styraciflua (sweetgum)
46.
Buds clustered at stem tips …47
46.
Buds not clustered at stem tips …48
47.
Leaves lobed,each lobe with or without apical bristle …Quercus
spp. (oaks, see species characteristics to distinguish species)
47.
Leaves unlobed, each lobe lacking apical bristle …Rhododendron
spp. (azalea, see species characteristics to distinguish species)
48.
Axillary buds superposed or collateral …49
48.
Axillary buds solitary or not evident …53
49.
Star-shaped hairs (handlens) on leaves &/or twigs …50
49.
Star-shaped hairs lacking from leaves & twigs …51
50.
Pith homogeneous; upper lateral bud thumb-shaped …Styrax
spp. (snowbell, see Radford
et. al. to distinguish the 2 spp. in NC)
50.
Pith chambered; upper lateral bud ovoid …Halesia
carolina (Carolina silverbell)
51.
Leaves entire; crushed stem & leaves aromatic when …Lindera
benzoin (northern spicebush)
51.
Leaves serrate;crushed stem & leaves not aromatic …52
52.
Pith chambered; smaller veins on leaf bottom surface perpendicular to
midvein …Itea
virginica (Virginia willow)
52.
Pith homogeneous (may be spongy); smaller veins on leaf bottom surface
not perpendicular to midvein …Ilex
verticillata (common winterberry)
53.
Buds naked …54
53.
Buds with 1 cap-like scale, 2 valvate scales, or several imbricate
scales, or not evident …55
54.
Leaves entire, cuneate basally, upper surface glabrous, malodorous when
crushed … Asimina
triloba
(paw-paw)
54.
Leaves coarsely crenate, obliquely rounded-slightly cordate basally,
upper surface with star-shaped hairs, not malodorous when crushed …Fothergilla
gardenii (dwarf
witch hazel)
55.
Axillary buds with 1 cap-like scale …56
55.
Axillary buds with 2 valvate scales, several imbricate scales, or bud
not evident …58
56.
Leaf undersurface covered with silky hairs …Salix
sericea (silky willow)
56.
Leaf undersurface lacking hairs or hairs not silky …57
57.
Leaf undersurface green …Salix
nigra (black willow)
57.
Leaf undersurface glaucous
…Salix
caroliniana (Carolina willow)
58.
Pith chambered
or diaphramed
…59
58.
Pith homogeneous
…64
59.
Smaller veins on bottom leaf surface perpendicular to midvein …Itea
virginica (Virginia willow)
59.
Smaller veins on bottom leaf surface not
regularly perpendicular to midvein …60
60.
Three major veins palmately
arranged …Celtis
laevigata (hackberry/sugarberry)
60.
No veins palmately arranged …61
61.
Bundle
scars 3 per leaf
scar …62
61.
Bundle scars 1 per leaf scar …63
62.
Leaves oblanceolate-narrowly elliptic, to 1.5 dm long; drupe
8-15 mm long; primarily CP …Nyssa
biflora (swamp tupelo)
62.
Leaves ovate or elliptic, to 2.5 dm long; drupe 1.5-4.0 cm long; CP only
…Nyssa
aquatica (water tupelo)
63.
Bark with square blocks; twig bark gray - black; buds black or nearly
so; leaves foliaceous, lacking hairs or nearly so on lower surface …Diospyros
virginiana (persimmon)
63.
Bark lacking square blacks; twig bark brown; buds brown, brownish,
greenish, yellowish; leaves somewhat leathery, densely hairy on lower
surface …Symplocos
tinctoria (horse sugar/sweet leaf)
64.
Three major veins palmately
arranged …65
64.
No veins palmately arranged …66
65.
Leaves 2-ranked,
none lobed; bark frequently with corky outgrowths …Celtis
laevigata (sugarberry/hackberry)
65.
Leaves several-ranked, some lobed; bark lacking corky outgrowths …Morus
rubra (red mulberry)
66.
Leaves distinctly 2-ranked;
leaf margins doubly serrate
…67
66.
Leaves not distinctly 2-ranked; leaf margins entire, singly serrate, or crenate…69
67.
Bark scaly and flaky, exposing reddish-brown inner bark as it sloughs;
SC only …Planera
aquatica (water elm)
67.
Bark ridged and furrowed or scaly, not exposing reddish-brown inner bark
as it sloughs …68
68.
Twigs glabrous
or nearly so; leaves smooth or scabrous above, glabrous or pubescent
below … Ulmus
americana (American elm)
68.
Twigs pubescent;
leaves very scabrous above, pubescent below …Ulmus
rubra (slippery elm)
69.
Cone-like clusters of woody scales present; lateral buds stalked …Alnus
serrulata (tag alder)
69.
Cone-like clusters of woody scales absent; lateral buds not stalked …70
70.
Bark reddish-brown and profusely peeling …Betula
nigra (river birch)
70.
Bark not as above …71
71.
Stem longitudinally ridged below distal
nodes …72
71.
Stem not longitudinally ridged below distal nodes …74
72.
Leaves with perimarginal
veins …Lyonia
lucida (fetterbush)
72.
Leaves w/o perimarginal veins …73
73.
Leaves oblanceolate, narrowly obovate or narrowly elliptic, entire; bark
of new growth light brown to beige; axillary buds small but not
appearing partly buried …Cyrilla
racemiflora (titi)
73.
Leaves elliptic to elliptic-ovate; most frequently slightly crenate,
sometimes entire; bark of new growth cinnamon-brown; axillary buds
appearing partly buried in stem …Zenobia
pulverulenta (honeycup)
74.
Leaves with sharp,stiff,marginal bristles >1mm long …Ilex
opaca (American holly)
74.
Leaves lacking sharp,stiff,marginal bristles >1mm long …75
75.
Crushed leaves distinctly aromatic (youngest leaves or early leaves of
the year may be only faintly aromatic)
…76
75.
Crushed leaves not distinctly aromatic …77
76.
At least several leaf margins deformed; lower leaf surface with rusty
colored hairs …Persea
palustris (red bay)
76.
Few or no leaf margins deformed; lower leaf surface glabrous
…Lindera
benzoin (northern spicebush)
77.
Trunk with vertical, broad, smooth ridges; bark smooth, gray …Carpinus
caroliniana (Ironwood/hornbeam/musclewood)
77.
Trunk w/o vertical, broad, smooth ridges; bark not as above …78
78.
Leaf blades deltoid-broadly
ovate …79
78.
Leaf blades narrowly ovate, lanceolate, elliptic, oblong, oblanceolate,
or obovate …80
79.
Petiole distinctly flattened throughout; leaf apex acute-acuminate
…Populus
deltoides (eastern
cottonwood)
79.
Petiole terete
or flattened only near apex; leaf apex obtuse; CP only …Populus
heterophylla (swamp cottonwood)
80.
Leaf blades, at least some, shallowly lobed …Baccharis
halimifolia (groundsel tree/silverling)
80.
Leaf blades entire, crenate, or serrate but not lobed …81
81.
Glands along basal part of midvein dark and elongate …Aronia
arbutifolia (red chokeberry)
81.
Glands not as above or lacking from basal part of midvein …82
82.
Leaves entire & tapered in lower half, coarsely toothed throughout
upper half; primarily CP …Clethra
alnifolia (sweet pepperbush)
82.
Leaves not as above …83
83.
Stems arching, plant
usually < 1.5 m tall; CP only …Leucothoe
axillaris (coastal dog hobble)
83.
Stems mostly erect or nearly so …84
84.
Upper leaf surface with silvery scales, lower leaf surface with
brown-silver scales; often in water; CP only …Chamaedaphne
calyculata (leather-leaf)
84.
Upper leaf surface lacking silvery scales, lower leaf surface lacking
brown-silver scales …85
85.
Branches, at least some, clustered or whorled …Rhododendron
sp. (azalea spp., see species characteristics to distinguish
species)
85.
Branches not clustered or whorled …86
86.
Smaller veins on leaf bottom surface
perpendicular to midvein …Itea
virginica (Virginia willow)
86.
Smaller veins on leaf bottom surface not regularly perpendicular to
midvein …87
87.
Stipule minute (handlens, < 1 mm), persistent, dark, at side of
petiole base …88
87.
Stipule absent or, if present, lacking some or all of above
characteristics or …92
88.
Leaves 3-9mm wide, usually entire but sometimes remotely toothed …
Ilex
myrtifolia (myrtle-leaved holly)
88.
Leaves >1 cm wide, crenate or toothed …89
89.
Leaf margins crenate …90
89.
Leaf margins serrate or with a few short bristles …91
90.
Leaves foliaceous, margin uniformly crenate; spur shoots frequently
present …Ilex
decidua (possum haw)
90.
Leaves leathery, margin crenate only near apex; spur shoots absent …Ilex
glabra (bitter gallberry)
91.
Leaves foliaceous, margin uniformly serrate, veins somewhat sunken into
blade tissue on upper surface …Ilex
verticillata (winterberry)
91.
Leaves leathery, margin serrate only near apex; veins obscure, not
appearing sunken...Ilex
coriacea (large gallberry)
92.
Trunk basally swollen …93
92.
Trunk or main stem not basally swollen …94
93.
Leaves 6 – 30 cm long, occasionally with a few irregular teeth; CP
only …Nyssa
aquatica (water tupelo)
93.
Leaves 2 – 8 cm long, entire; primarily CP …Nyssa
biflora (swamp tupelo)
94.
Bark black, blocky; minor veins nearly all distinct on leaf undersurface
all the way to the margin …Diospyros
virginiana (persimmon)
94.
Bark brown, green, or gray, ridged or smooth; minor veins not as above
…95
95.
Leaf blades, all or most, > 12 cm long;
typically in organic soils; CP only …Gordonia
lasianthus (loblolly bay)
95.
Leaf blades, all or most, < 12 cm long …96
96.
Leaf veins somewhat sunken into blade tissue on upper blade surface …Ilex
verticillata (winterberry)
96.
Leaf veins not sunken into blade tissue …97
97.
Leaves basally long-tapering, petioles 2-10 mm long, margins crenate
throughout … Ilex
decidua (possum haw)
97.
Leaves basally rounded, truncate, or short tapering, petioles <10mm
long, margins entire, serrate, serrulate …98
98.
Axillary bud scale tips long acute – acuminate (handlens) …99
98.
Axillary bud scale tips blunt – short acute …102
99.
Plant 0.2-0.5m tall; black to dk. brown, stalked, glandular hairs on
bottom leaf surface … Vaccinium
tenellum (gale-leaf
blueberry)
99.
Plant >0.5m tall; dark, stalked, glandular hairs lacking from
bottom leaf surface …100
100.
Leaves 0.6-1.5cm wide, entire or minutely serrate, glossy on upper
surface …Vaccinium
elliottii (mayberry)
100.
Leaves > 1.5 cm wide, entire, dull on upper surface …101
101.
Leaf base acute, rounded, or slightly cordate;
bottom leaf surface frequently somewhat whitish; species of uplands
& upland fringes of wetlands …Vaccinium
stamineum (deerberry)
101.
Leaf base acute; bottom leaf surface green – light green; species
rarely in uplands, usually in bogs, pocosins, pine barrens …Vaccinium
corymbosum (highbush blueberry)
102.
Brown – black glands (handlens) on bottom leaf surface …Lyonia
mariana (staggerbush)
102.
Brown – black glands lacking from bottom leaf surface …103
103.
Wood of current growing season orangish to
cinnamon-brown …
Zenobia
pulverulenta (honeycup)
103.
Wood of current growing season brown, maroon, gray, or green …104
104.
Axillary bud appressed,
valvate …Lyonia
ligustrina (maleberry)
104.
Axillary bud divergent, imbricate
…105
105.
Leaves entire; bases tapered, rounded, or
slightly cordate; bud scales green or light to medium brown; fruit a
berry (fleshy) …Vaccinium
stamineum (deerberry)
105.
Leaves entire to serrate at least in apical half; bases rounded or
tapered, not cordate; bud scales dark brown; fruit a capsule (dry) ...Leucothoe
racemosa (fetterbush/swamp leucothoe)
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