Ash Maple Species List

1. Tall Bellflower

Order: Asterales

Family:Campanulaceae

Genus:Campanula

Species Name: Campanula americana

Identifying Characteristics:

-Light blue/lavender (varies), star-shaped

flowers in a leafy spike. Leaves narrowly egg- or lance-shaped. Found in moist thickets. Long sepal.

Special Adaptations:

-Grows easily in moist soils. Seed does not have to be planted deep into soil. Blooms annually.

2. Clustered Snakeroot

Genus:SaniculaOrder:Apiales

Family:Apiaceae

Species Name: Sanicula gregaria

Identifying Characteristics:

-Leaves with usually 5 leaflets. Fruit clustered together along stalk of plant. Fruit is bristly, will stick to clothing.

Special Adaptations:

-Grows in shaded, rich woods. Fruit/seeds stick to animals and humans making it easy for their seed to spread.

3. Blue Ash

Order:Lamiales

Family:Oleaceae

Genus: Fraxinus

Species Name: Fraxinus quadrangulata

Identifying Characteristics:

-Leaves are opposite compound and always toothed. Most distinguishing characteristic is the square twig with 4 lines on each edge. Leaf scar not deeply notched.

-Special Adaptations:

-Does not have separate male and female trees, each flower is "perfect" and eac

h tree is able to produce fertile seeds under favorable conditions.

4. White Oak

Order:Fagales

Family: Fagaceae

Genus" Quercus

Species Name: Quercus alba

Identifying Characteristics:

-Identification is easily done by looking at bark.

Leaves will have rounded lobes instead of pointed lobes which distinguish it from the Red Oak. Bark is light ash-grey. Acorn i

s furry on bottom.

Special Adaptations:

-Fairly tolerant of a variety of conditions. Grows in a variety of habitats such as ridges, valleys, dry and moist habitats and moderately alkaline or acidic soils.

5. Red Oak

Family: Fagaceae

Order:Fagales

Genus: Quercus

Species Name: Quercus rubra

Identifying Characteristics:

-Leaves have pointed lobes instead of rounded lobes like the White Oak. There are small tufts of fur on the axle of the leaves that can be seen with a hand lens. The acorn has small, tight scales when moving towards the center of the acorn. Color is light brown. Easy to identify by the bark. Bark is reddish, grey, brown with shiny like strips running down the trunk.

Special Adaptations:

-Can live up to 500 years. Grows rapidly and is tolerant of a variety of soils and light conditions. Prefers glacial drift and well-drained soils along streams.

6. Sugar Maple

Order: Sapindales

Family:Sapindaceae

Genus:Acer

Species Name: Acer saccharum

Identifying Characteristics:

-Leaves are moderately lobed, edges not drooping, dark green on top and lighter on bottom of leaf. Buds are pointy. Leaf is on canadian flag.

Special Adaptations:

-Major component in many different forests and very important to the forest ecosystem. Among the most shade tolerant of all the deciduous trees. Germination can happen in shade with very little light involved. Sugar maples can grow in any type of soil, except sand.