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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.