Keys to some common trees of the Lewisburg Area

KEY TO SOME COMMON TREES OF THE LEWISBURG AREA

1 Leaves evergreen (with needle leaves) 2

1 Leaves deciduous (without needle leaves) 9

2 Fruit a fleshy, round; dark-colored berry with bony seeds Red Cedar, Juniperus virginiana

2 Fruit a dry cone with winged seeds 3

3 Leaves linear to needle shaped; not closely overlapping 4

3 Leaves scale-like; closely overlapping 8

4 Leaves in bundles of two or more 5

4 Leaves solitary 6

5 Leaves persistent; 2-5 in each bundle Pine, Pinus (see key below)

5 Leaves deciduous; more than 5 in each cluster Larch, Larix laricina

6 Leaves flattened, whitish on lower surface 7

6 Leaves 4-angled, needle shaped Spruce, Picea (see key below)

7 Leaves with 2 whitish lines below Hemlock, Tsuga canadensis

7 Leaves not whitish below Balsam Fir, Abies balsamea

8 Leaves less than 1/8 inch long; twigs rather slender, not prominently flattened; cones globular with shield-shaped scales scales which do not overlap White Cedar, Chamaecyparis thyoides

8 Leaves 1/8 inch or more in length; twigs rather prominently flattened, cones elongated with 8-12 overlapping scales Arbor Vitae, Thuja occidentalis

9 Leaves simple 10

9 Leaves compound 38

10 Leaves opposite 11

10 Leaves alternate 14

11 Leaves more or less lobed Maple, Acer (see key below)

11 Leaves not lobed 12

12 Leaves cordate, mostly 6 inches long or longer Catalpa sp.

12 Leaves not heart-shaped, either elliptical or obovate, usually less than 6 inches long 13

13 Leaf margins finely toothed Viburnums, Black Haws,and Arrowood, Viburnum sp.

13 Leaf margins entire Flowering Dogwood, Cornus florida

14 Leaf margin smooth (leaf may be lobed, however) 15

14 Leaf margin toothed 21

15 Leaves not lobed 16

15 Leaves lobed or at least undulate 19

16 Stipular scars encircling branches Magnolia sp.

16 Stipular scars absent or at least not encircling branches 17

17 Leaves and twigs strongly aromatic Sassafras albidum

17 Leaves and twigs not conspicuously aromatic 18

18 Leaves more or less obovate, bundle scars 3; terminal bud present Black Gum, Nyssa sylvatica

18 Leaves more or less elliptical, bundle scar 1; no end but, merely side buds (i.e., pseudoterminal buds) Persimmon, Diospyros virginiana

19 Leaves strongly aromatic Sassafras albidum

19 Leaves not strongly aromatic 20

20 Leaves with broad notch at apex; pith partitioned; stipules encircling the twig Yellow Poplar, Liriodendron tulipifera

20 Leaves lobed more or less all around, or at least undulate; pith solid, not chambered; stipule scars small and inconspicuous, not encircling twig Oak, Quercus (see key below)

21 Leaves lobed 22

21 Leaves not lobed 25

22 Leaves palmately veined; stipule scars encircling twig 23

22 Leaves not palmately veined, pinnately veined 24

23 Leaves irregularly dentate; buds concealed by hollow petiole bases; stipular scars encircling twig Sycamore, Platanus occidentalis

23 Leaves with irregular lobes and dentate margins; buds exposed in leaf axils; stipular scars small and not encircling twig (see 24)

24 True terminal bud present and this with several lateral buds forming a cluster at tip of stem; fruit an acorn Oak, Quercus (see key below)

24 True terminal bud lacking and the nearest lateral buds not forming a cluster at tip of stem; fruit a cluster of fleshy drupelets Red Mulberry, Morus rubra

25 At least some branches with thorns Hawthorn, Crataegus sp.

25 Branches without thorns 26

26 Leaf blade typically less than twice as long as wide 27

26 Leaf blade usually twice or more as long as wide 32

27 Buds gummy or petiole strongly flattened (i.e., greatly compressed laterally) Poplar, Populus sp.

27 Buds not conspicuously gummy and petiole round in cross section or at least not strongly compressed laterally 28

28 Buds stalked Alder, Alnus serrulata

28 Buds sessile 29

29 Stalk (peduncle) of flower or fruit cluster fused to a paddle- shaped bract 2 or more inches long Basswood, Tilia americana

29 Twigs not as above 30

30 Leaf bases all strongly asymmetrical 30a

30 Leaf bases usually symmetrical 31

30a. Green leaves with yellowish spots Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis

30a. Green leaves without yellowish spots Elm, Ulmus americana

31 Milky juice excreted from twig when broken; bundle scars more than 3 Red Mulberry, Morus rubra

31 No milky juice excreted from twig when broken; bundle scars 3 Birch, Betula sp.

32 Green leaves with conspicuous yellow spots Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis

32 Green leaves without conspicuous yellow spots 32a

32a. Bud distinctly stalked; bud scales 2 Alder, Alnus serrulata

32a. Buds sessile; bud scales 3 or more 33

33 Leaves with large veins extending to the teeth 34

33 Leaves with large veins not extending to the teeth but branching and uniting again within the leaf margin Cherry, Prunus sp.

34 Terminal bud five times as long as wide Beech, Fagus grandifolia

34 Terminal bud not as above 35

35 Visible bud scales 3 or 4; the first pair of scales forming a V-shaped angle above the leaf scar Birch, Betula sp.

35 Buds not as above 36

36 Leaf bases asymmetrical Elm, Ulmu s sp.

36 Leaf bases symmetrical 37

37 Buds gummy, longitudinally striated, all buds equal in size; bark of mature tree rough Hop Hornbeam, Ostrya virginiana

37 Buds not gummy, not longitudinally striated buds unequal in size; bark of mature tree smooth American Hornbeam, Carpinus caroliniana

38 Leaves opposite 39

38 Leaves alternate 41

39 Leaves palmately compound Horse-chestnut, Aesculus hippocastanum

39 Leaves pinnately compound or 3-foliate 40

40 Twigs of current year's growth bright green; bundle scars 3; bud scales whitish pubescent Box Elder, Acer negundo

40 Twigs of current year's growth brownish or grayish or at least not bright green; bundle scars numerous; bud scales brownish or grayish pubescent Ash, Fraxinus sp.

41 Leaves once-compound 42

41 Leaves twice-compound 46

42 Leaflets less than 2 inches long; branches and twigs may have spines or thorns 43

42 Leaflets greater than 2 inches long; branches and twigs never with spines or thorns 44

43 Fruit less than 5 inches long; leaflet margins entire; terminal leaflet present Black Locust, Robina pseudo-acacia

43 Fruit greater than 5 inches long; leaflet margins slightly serrate; terminal leaflet absent Honey Locust, Gleditsia triacanthos

44 Leaflets entire except for the often somewhat obscure teeth near base; crushed foliage disagreeably musty Tree of Heaven, Ailanthus altissima

44 Leaflets toothed over most of the margin; crushed foliage not musty 45

45 Pith solid; leaflets usually but not always fewer than 12 Hickory, Carya sp.

45 Pith chambered; leaflets usually more than 12 Walnut, Juglans (see key below)

46 Branches often thorny; leaves 7-8 inches long; fruit more or less twisted, 10-18 inches long Honey Locust, Gleditsia triacanthos

46 Branches without thorns; leaves 1-3 feet long; fruit flat, 4-10 inches long Kentucky Coffee Tree, Gymnocladus dioica

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF Pinus (PINE)

1 Leaves 5 in a fascicle White Pine, P. strobus

1 Leaves fewer than 5 in a fascicle 2

2 Leaves 3 in a fascicle Pitch Pine, P. rigida

2 Leaves 2 in a fascicle 3

3 Leaves 5-6 inches long; cones subterminal, scales unarmed Red Pine, P. resinosa

3 Leaves less than 5 inches long; cones lateral, scales armed with spines or prickles 4

4 Cones with very stout spines, 2-1/2 - 3-1/2 inches long; leaves very sharp-pointed and stiff Table Mt. Pine, P. pungens

4 Cones with prickles, 3 inches or less in length; leaves slender to slightly stiff 5

5 Leaves slender, straight Short Leaf Pine, P. echinata

5 Leaves stout, twisted 6

6 Twigs smooth greenish-purple to grayish-brown; cones at right angles to branch Virginia Pine, P. virginiana

6 Twigs rough, dull grayish-yellow; cones pointingbackward; bark of upper third of trunk reddish Scotch Pine, P. sylvestris

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF Picea (SPRUCE)

1 Terminal part of lateral branchlets pendulous; leaves slender dark green, glossy, sharp-pointed; cones cylindrical, over 3 inches long Norway Spruce, P. abies

1 Terminal part of lateral branchlets not decidedly pendulous; leaves rather stout; often blunt-pointed; cones ovated to oblong, less than 3 inches long 2

2 Leaves dark yellowish-green; cones elongated-ovoid with clear brown, entire margined scales Red Spruce, P. rubra

2 Leaves bluish-green; cones short-ovoid with dull grayish- brown cone scales having jagged margins Black Spruce, P. mariana

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF Quercus (OAK)

1 Leaf tip or margin not provided with bristles (i.e., veins not extending beyond blade) 2 White Oak Group

1 Leaf tip or margin provided with bristles (i.e., veins extending beyondblade) 4 Red or Black Oak Group

2 Leaves more or less deeply lobed, the sinuses extending at least half the distance to the midvein White Oak, Q. alba

2 Leaves shallowly lobed or with merely a wavy margin, the sinuses extending less than one-fourth the distance to the midvein 3

3 Leaves with greater than 15 lobes, 5-9 inches long; when mature a large tree Chestnut Oak, Q. montana

3 Leaves with fewer than 15 lobes, 3-6 inches long; tree dwarfed in form Scrub Chestnut Oak, Q. prinoides

4 Leaves glabrous beneath at maturity or with pubescence more or less restricted to the axils of the veins 5

4 Leaves pubescent beneath at maturity, the pubescence not restrited to leaf-axils 8

5 Longest lobe of leaf never as much as twice as long as the broadest medial portionof blade and usually merely equaling it to even less 6

5 Longest lobe of leaf 2-6 times as long as breadth of the narrowest part of medial portion of blace 7

6 Buds chestnut-brown and glabrous to very nearly so, circular to very slightly angled in cross-section; inner bark greenish-white to very pale yellow Northern Red Oak, Q. rubra

6 Buds grayish and densely pubescent, strongly 4-angledin cross section; inner bark bright yellow to orange Black Oak, Q. velutina

7 Lobes of leaf tapering outwardly, resulting in open sinuses; the sinus widest at "mouth" Pin Oak, Q. palustris

7 Lobes of leaf expanding outwardly, resulting in partially closed sinuses; the sinus not widest at "mouth" Scarlet Oak, Q. coccinea

8 Leaves with tufts of rusty hairs in axil of veins at midrib; veins not conspicuously yellow; inner barkyellow; mature tree large Black Oak, Q. velutina

8 Leaves with a dense whitish pubescence beneath, veins conspicuously yellow; inner bark not yellow; mature trees dwarfed in form Scrub or Bear Oak, Q. ilicifolia

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF Acer (MAPLE)

1 Leaves compound with 3-5 leaflets Box Elder, Acer negundo

1 Leaves simple 2

2 Leaves with 7 veins; milky sap evident after breaking leaf petiole Norway Maple, Acer platanoides

2 Leaves not as above 3

3 Leaves generally 3-lobed Red Maple, Acer rubrum

3 Leaves with greater than 3 lobes 4

4 Leaf margin with a few large teeth, leaf pale green below Sugar Maple, Acer saccharum

4 Leaf margin with many small teeth, leaf silvery-white on lower surface Silver Maple, Acer saccharinum

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF Juglans (WALNUT)

1 Leaflets 11-17, pubescent above with clustered hairs; pith chocolate-brown leaf scar separated from bud by a velvety ridge; fruit oblong Butternut, Juglans cinerea

1 Leaflets 13-23, glabrous above or very sparsely pubescent with solitary hairs; pith buff-colored; leaf scar notched but not separated from bud by a velvety ridge; fruit globose Black Walnut, Juglans nigra

1	Leaves evergreen (with needle leaves)	2
1	Leaves deciduous (without needle leaves)	9
2	Fruit a fleshy, round; dark-colored berry with bony seeds	Red Cedar, Juniperus virginiana
2	Fruit a dry cone with winged seeds	3
3	Leaves linear to needle shaped; not closely overlapping	4
3	Leaves scale-like; closely overlapping	8
4	Leaves in bundles of two or more	5
4	Leaves solitary	6
5	Leaves persistent; 2-5 in each bundle	Pine, Pinus (see key below)
5	Leaves deciduous; more than 5 in each cluster	Larch, Larix laricina
6	Leaves flattened, whitish on lower surface	7
6	Leaves 4-angled, needle shaped	Spruce, Picea (see key below)
7	Leaves with 2 whitish lines below	Hemlock, Tsuga canadensis
7	Leaves not whitish below	Balsam Fir, Abies balsamea
8	Leaves less than 1/8 inch long; twigs rather slender, not prominently flattened; cones globular with shield-shaped scales scales which do not overlap	White Cedar, Chamaecyparis thyoides

8	Leaves 1/8 inch or more in length; twigs rather prominently flattened, cones elongated with 8-12 overlapping scales	Arbor Vitae, Thuja occidentalis
9	Leaves simple	10
9	Leaves compound	38
10	Leaves opposite	11
10	Leaves alternate	14
11	Leaves more or less lobed	Maple, Acer (see key below)
11	Leaves not lobed	12
12	Leaves cordate, mostly 6 inches long or longer	Catalpa sp.
12	Leaves not heart-shaped, either elliptical or obovate, usually less than 6 inches long	13
13	Leaf margins finely toothed	Viburnums, Black Haws,and Arrowood, Viburnum sp.
13	Leaf margins entire	Flowering Dogwood, Cornus florida
14	Leaf margin smooth (leaf may be lobed, however)	15
14	Leaf margin toothed	21
15	Leaves not lobed	16
15	Leaves lobed or at least undulate	19
16	Stipular scars encircling branches	Magnolia sp.
16	Stipular scars absent or at least not encircling branches	17
17	Leaves and twigs strongly aromatic	Sassafras albidum
17	Leaves and twigs not conspicuously aromatic	18
18	Leaves more or less obovate, bundle scars 3; terminal bud present	Black Gum, Nyssa sylvatica
18	Leaves more or less elliptical, bundle scar 1; no end but, merely side buds (i.e., pseudoterminal buds)	Persimmon, Diospyros virginiana
19	Leaves strongly aromatic	Sassafras albidum
19	Leaves not strongly aromatic	20
20	Leaves with broad notch at apex; pith partitioned; stipules encircling the twig	Yellow Poplar, Liriodendron tulipifera
20	Leaves lobed more or less all around, or at least undulate; pith solid, not chambered; stipule scars small and inconspicuous, not encircling twig	Oak, Quercus (see key below)
21	Leaves lobed	22
21	Leaves not lobed	25
22	Leaves palmately veined; stipule scars encircling twig	23
22	Leaves not palmately veined, pinnately veined	24
23	Leaves irregularly dentate; buds concealed by hollow petiole bases; stipular scars encircling twig	Sycamore, Platanus occidentalis
23	Leaves with irregular lobes and dentate margins; buds exposed in leaf axils; stipular scars small and not encircling twig	(see 24)
24	True terminal bud present and this with several lateral buds forming a cluster at tip of stem; fruit an acorn	Oak, Quercus (see key below)
24	True terminal bud lacking and the nearest lateral buds not forming a cluster at tip of stem; fruit a cluster of fleshy drupelets	Red Mulberry, Morus rubra
25	At least some branches with thorns	Hawthorn, Crataegus sp.
25	Branches without thorns	26
26	Leaf blade typically less than twice as long as wide	27
26	Leaf blade usually twice or more as long as wide	32
27	Buds gummy or petiole strongly flattened (i.e., greatly compressed laterally)	Poplar, Populus sp.
27	Buds not conspicuously gummy and petiole round in cross section or at least not strongly compressed laterally	28
28	Buds stalked	Alder, Alnus serrulata
28	Buds sessile	29
29	Stalk (peduncle) of flower or fruit cluster fused to a paddle- shaped bract 2 or more inches long	Basswood, Tilia americana
29	Twigs not as above	30
30	Leaf bases all strongly asymmetrical	30a
30	Leaf bases usually symmetrical	31
30a.	Green leaves with yellowish spots	Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis
30a.	Green leaves without yellowish spots	Elm, Ulmus americana
31	Milky juice excreted from twig when broken; bundle scars more than 3	Red Mulberry, Morus rubra
31	No milky juice excreted from twig when broken; bundle scars 3	Birch, Betula sp.
32	Green leaves with conspicuous yellow spots	Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis
32	Green leaves without conspicuous yellow spots	32a
32a.	Bud distinctly stalked; bud scales 2	Alder, Alnus serrulata
32a.	Buds sessile; bud scales 3 or more	33
33	Leaves with large veins extending to the teeth	34
33	Leaves with large veins not extending to the teeth but branching and uniting again within the leaf margin	Cherry, Prunus sp.
34	Terminal bud five times as long as wide	Beech, Fagus grandifolia
34	Terminal bud not as above	35
35	Visible bud scales 3 or 4; the first pair of scales forming a V-shaped angle above the leaf scar	Birch, Betula sp.
35	Buds not as above	36
36	Leaf bases asymmetrical	Elm, Ulmu s sp.
36	Leaf bases symmetrical	37
37	Buds gummy, longitudinally striated, all buds equal in size; bark of mature tree rough	Hop Hornbeam, Ostrya virginiana
37	Buds not gummy, not longitudinally striated buds unequal in size; bark of mature tree smooth	American Hornbeam, Carpinus caroliniana
38	Leaves opposite	39
38	Leaves alternate	41
39	Leaves palmately compound	Horse-chestnut, Aesculus hippocastanum
39	Leaves pinnately compound or 3-foliate	40
40	Twigs of current year's growth bright green; bundle scars 3; bud scales whitish pubescent	Box Elder, Acer negundo
40	Twigs of current year's growth brownish or grayish or at least not bright green; bundle scars numerous; bud scales brownish or grayish pubescent	Ash, Fraxinus sp.
41	Leaves once-compound	42
41	Leaves twice-compound	46
42	Leaflets less than 2 inches long; branches and twigs may have spines or thorns	43
42	Leaflets greater than 2 inches long; branches and twigs never with spines or thorns	44
43	Fruit less than 5 inches long; leaflet margins entire; terminal leaflet present	Black Locust, Robina pseudo-acacia
43	Fruit greater than 5 inches long; leaflet margins slightly serrate; terminal leaflet absent	Honey Locust, Gleditsia triacanthos

44	Leaflets entire except for the often somewhat obscure teeth near base; crushed foliage disagreeably musty	Tree of Heaven, Ailanthus altissima
44	Leaflets toothed over most of the margin; crushed foliage not musty	45
45	Pith solid; leaflets usually but not always fewer than 12	Hickory, Carya sp.
45	Pith chambered; leaflets usually more than 12	Walnut, Juglans (see key below)
46	Branches often thorny; leaves 7-8 inches long; fruit more or less twisted, 10-18 inches long	Honey Locust, Gleditsia triacanthos
46	Branches without thorns; leaves 1-3 feet long; fruit flat, 4-10 inches long	Kentucky Coffee Tree, Gymnocladus dioica

1	Leaves 5 in a fascicle	White Pine, P. strobus
1	Leaves fewer than 5 in a fascicle	2
2	Leaves 3 in a fascicle	Pitch Pine, P. rigida
2	Leaves 2 in a fascicle	3
3	Leaves 5-6 inches long; cones subterminal, scales unarmed	Red Pine, P. resinosa
3	Leaves less than 5 inches long; cones lateral, scales armed with spines or prickles	4
4	Cones with very stout spines, 2-1/2 - 3-1/2 inches long; leaves very sharp-pointed and stiff	Table Mt. Pine, P. pungens
4	Cones with prickles, 3 inches or less in length; leaves slender to slightly stiff	5
5	Leaves slender, straight	Short Leaf Pine, P. echinata
5	Leaves stout, twisted	6
6	Twigs smooth greenish-purple to grayish-brown; cones at right angles to branch	Virginia Pine, P. virginiana
6	Twigs rough, dull grayish-yellow; cones pointingbackward; bark of upper third of trunk reddish	Scotch Pine, P. sylvestris

1	Terminal part of lateral branchlets pendulous; leaves slender dark green, glossy, sharp-pointed; cones cylindrical, over 3 inches long	Norway Spruce, P. abies
1	Terminal part of lateral branchlets not decidedly pendulous; leaves rather stout; often blunt-pointed; cones ovated to oblong, less than 3 inches long	2
2	Leaves dark yellowish-green; cones elongated-ovoid with clear brown, entire margined scales	Red Spruce, P. rubra
2	Leaves bluish-green; cones short-ovoid with dull grayish- brown cone scales having jagged margins	Black Spruce, P. mariana

1	Leaf tip or margin not provided with bristles (i.e., veins not extending beyond blade)	2 White Oak Group
1	Leaf tip or margin provided with bristles (i.e., veins extending beyondblade)	4 Red or Black Oak Group
2	Leaves more or less deeply lobed, the sinuses extending at least half the distance to the midvein	White Oak, Q. alba
2	Leaves shallowly lobed or with merely a wavy margin, the sinuses extending less than one-fourth the distance to the midvein	3
3	Leaves with greater than 15 lobes, 5-9 inches long; when mature a large tree	Chestnut Oak, Q. montana
3	Leaves with fewer than 15 lobes, 3-6 inches long; tree dwarfed in form	Scrub Chestnut Oak, Q. prinoides
4	Leaves glabrous beneath at maturity or with pubescence more or less restricted to the axils of the veins	5
4	Leaves pubescent beneath at maturity, the pubescence not restrited to leaf-axils	8
5	Longest lobe of leaf never as much as twice as long as the broadest medial portionof blade and usually merely equaling it to even less	6
5	Longest lobe of leaf 2-6 times as long as breadth of the narrowest part of medial portion of blace	7
6	Buds chestnut-brown and glabrous to very nearly so, circular to very slightly angled in cross-section; inner bark greenish-white to very pale yellow	Northern Red Oak, Q. rubra
6	Buds grayish and densely pubescent, strongly 4-angledin cross section; inner bark bright yellow to orange	Black Oak, Q. velutina
7	Lobes of leaf tapering outwardly, resulting in open sinuses; the sinus widest at "mouth"	Pin Oak, Q. palustris
7	Lobes of leaf expanding outwardly, resulting in partially closed sinuses; the sinus not widest at "mouth"	Scarlet Oak, Q. coccinea
8	Leaves with tufts of rusty hairs in axil of veins at midrib; veins not conspicuously yellow; inner barkyellow; mature tree large	Black Oak, Q. velutina
8	Leaves with a dense whitish pubescence beneath, veins conspicuously yellow; inner bark not yellow; mature trees dwarfed in form	Scrub or Bear Oak, Q. ilicifolia

1	Leaves compound with 3-5 leaflets	Box Elder, Acer negundo
1	Leaves simple	2
2	Leaves with 7 veins; milky sap evident after breaking leaf petiole	Norway Maple, Acer platanoides
2	Leaves not as above	3
3	Leaves generally 3-lobed	Red Maple, Acer rubrum
3	Leaves with greater than 3 lobes	4
4	Leaf margin with a few large teeth, leaf pale green below	Sugar Maple, Acer saccharum
4	Leaf margin with many small teeth, leaf silvery-white on lower surface	Silver Maple, Acer saccharinum

1	Leaflets 11-17, pubescent above with clustered hairs; pith chocolate-brown leaf scar separated from bud by a velvety ridge; fruit oblong	Butternut, Juglans cinerea
1	Leaflets 13-23, glabrous above or very sparsely pubescent with solitary hairs; pith buff-colored; leaf scar notched but not separated from bud by a velvety ridge; fruit globose	Black Walnut, Juglans nigra