Yellow Poplar
The yellow poplar, sometimes
called tulip poplar or tulip tree because of its flowers, is not a
true poplar. True poplars are in the willow family and the tulip
poplar is in the magnolia family. The yellow poplar has distinctively
shaped simple leaves—suggesting maple leaves that have been clipped
off with a pair of scissors—and conspicuous tulip-like flowers.
|
Fig. 16 Yellow Poplar twig with
leaves |
Fig. 17 Yellow poplar leaves and
flowers |
American Sycamore
Although not directly related to
maples, the sycamore has fairly large maple like-leaves. The buds are
cone shaped and tend to jut out from the twig. The sycamore’s
bark—blotched with brown and white—is probably its most distinguishing
feature and is recognizable from a distance, even from a vehicle while
traveling. Dendrologists consider the sycamore a bottomland tree
since its typical habitat is along the floodplain of streams and
rivers.
|
Fig. 18 American Sycamore
twig with leaves and fruit |
Fig. 19 American
Sycamore twig |
Black Cherry
Black cherry has simple,
finely-toothed leaves. They are oblong or oval with pointed tips.
Flowers, and later the fruits, are borne in oblong clusters.
|
Fig.
20 Black Cherry twig
with leaves and flowers |
Basswood
American Basswood is another
tree with simple, toothed leaves. Unlike the black cherry, basswood
leaves are more rounded and tend to be lopsided at the base. The
flowers, then fruits, develop on a stem that extends from the base of
a long and narrow, leaf-like bract.
|
Fig. 21 American Basswood
twig with leaves and fruit |
