Ash/Maple Forest Findings

1) Tall Bell Flower

(Camp

anulales,

Campanulaceae,Campanulastrum,

C.americanum)

-leaves are long and serrated

-star-shaped, light blue (lavender) flowers with 5 petals

-have a long sepal in the center

2) Clustered Blacksnakeroot

(Apiales,Apiaceae, Sanicula L., S. odorata)

- cluster of fruit on long stems

-continually 5 leaves

- grow in rich woods (clay/loamy soil)

- *are in the carrot family!!!*

3) Blue Ash (Scrophulariales, Oleacea, Fraxinus, F. quadrangulata)

- toothed, compound leaflets

- very square twigs (so easy to distinguish from other ashes!)

- are a threatened species in Iowa and Wisconsin

4) White Oak (Fagales, Fagaceae, Quercus L., Q.

alba L.)

-is hard to identify by leaves

-must look at branches and color

of the bark (light grayish)

-this one is really young- leaves are much different when older

-rounded leaves (like all white oaks have)

5) Red Oak (Fagales, Fagaceae, Quercus L., Q. rubra L.)

-has very distinctive lined bark

-tufts of furry stuff in it's axels (intersections on leaves)

-leaves have pointy ridges (easy to distinguish from white oak)

6) Sugar Maple (Sapindales, Aceraceae, Acer L., A. saccharum Marsh)

- bright green leaves with lighter green on the underside

-young tree has smooth, grayish bark

-older trees have shaggy bark

-in the autumn, trees have uneven coloring