Trees

I went for a walk along the south campus oval and around 12th Street to look at various trees.

Above is an American sycamore tree. Platanus occidentalis L. Part of the Platanaceae family. The American sycamore is alternate in arrangement, with simple complexity, and lobed leaves. In the spring the ball, the fruits, loosens and the individual achenes, each bearing a tuft of hairs, are carried away by the wind (159, Braun). A shade tree, Sycamore grows to a larger trunk diameter than any other native hardwood (Plant database). 

Above is a European beech species. Fagus sylvatica. This is apart of the Fagaceae family. It has alternate leaves, with simple complexity, and entire margins. The European beech is the more widely plant species but has less desirable fall foliage and its trunk is obscured by lower branching (Plant database)  The Europe beech is often planted includes a number of horticultural farms (113, Brauns). Above is a Golden rain tree. Koelreuteria paniculata. This is apart of the family Sapindaceae. It has bipinnate coarsely toothed leaves, broad panicles of yellow flowers, and inflated papery ovoid capsules about 5 cm. long and it is planted as an ornamental tree (255, Brauns).

This is a silver maple. Acer saccharinum. It is apart of the family Sapindaceae. It has opposite arrangement, with simple complexity, and lobed leaves. The largest Ohio tree of this species (247, Brauns). Silver maple sap is only half as sweet as sap from sugar maples (Plant database).  Above is hackberry. Celtis occidentalis. It is apart of the Cannabaceae. It has alternate arrangement and simple in leaf complexity. Dwarf forms in shallow soil over limestone may be mistaken for witch’s broom (137, Braun). Hackberry’s bark is smooth, pale bark marked with lighter, corky patches (Plant database). 

This is a western larch species. Larix occidentalis. This is apart of the family Pinanceae. It has simple leaf complexity. A ripe cone is made up of woody scales, each of which bears two seeds at the base (Plant base).  In winter, readily distinguished from all other of the deciduous trees by its unbranched master like trunk extending up through the crown, and its horizontal branches (61, Brauns). This is a chestnut oak. Quercus montanna. It is apart of the Fagaceae family. It has alternate arrangement with simple leaf complexity. The bark from this tree was once used for tanning leather (Plant database). In Ohio, it is common in the southern part of the Allegheny Plateau, less frequent northward, and westward along Lake Erie (121, Braun).  This is an American elm species. Ulmus americana. It is apart of the family Ulmaceae. It is alternate in arrangement and simple in complexity. Dutch elm disease, it is a fungus that originated in Europe and was brought over to the US via native elms being transported to the US and some bug carriers (Plant database). It is the largest American species (135,Brauns).

These are the outside databases and books I used to find the facts on.

Braun, L. (1968). The Woody Plants of Ohio.

Plant database. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – The University of Texas at Austin. (n.d.). https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ACSA2