150 Genera
1500 species (1 on campus)
I. Leaves
A. Alternate, some opposite
B. Compound, some simple
C. Estipulate
D. Glandular-punctate dots on leaflets
E. Aromatic, bitter, volatile oil
II. Flowers
A. Regular
B. Perfect or imperfect
C. 4-5 sepals & petals
D. 8-10 stamens
E. 1 pistil
III. Fruits
A. Drupe, follicle, samara, hesperidium
IV. Economic importance
A. Citrus has edible fruit
(orange,
tangerine, lemon, lime, grapefruit)
B. Tropical general - lumber for structural
timber
& cabinets
V. Range
A. World wide
Phellodendron amurense (Amur corktree)
[Grk = "cork tree"]
A. Lateral buds hidden by petiole base
B. No terminal buds
C. Black drupe
D. Deeply furrowed bark with corky ridges
Simaroubaceae (Quassa, Bitterwood Family)
25 Genera (1 on campus)
150 species
I. Leaves
A. Alternate
B. Pinnately compound or simple
C. Stipulate or estipulate
II. Flowers
A. Regular
B. Imperfect polygamous or dioecious
C. small in large showy panicles
III. Fruits
A. Capsule, drupe, berry, samara
IV. Economic Importance
A. Water soluble bitter compound used in insecticides
& medicine
V. Range
A. Tropical & Subtropical
VI. Ailanthus altissima (Tree of heaven,
Stink Tree)
[Reaching to the heaven-G, tall-se]
A. 30-60 cm pinnately compound leaves
B. leaflets smell bad, have 1-5 round teeth
with apical
glands at base
C. Cream to reddish brown twisted samaras
in large clusters
D. Introduced from E. Asia, now naturalized
in disturbed areas
throughout temperate
N. America
E. Difficult to eradicate because of numerous
seeds & root sprouts, rapid growth "A Tree
Grows in Brooklyn"
Tiliaceae
(Linden, Basswood Family)
[Latin name, meaning "wing"]
50 Genera (1 on campus)
450 species
I. Leaves
A. Alternate
B. Simple
C. Stipulate
D. Serrate
E. Inequilateral base
II. Flowers
A. Perfect
B. Regular
C. 5-merous
D. 1, 2- to 10-celled pistil
III. Fruits
A. Capsule, drupe, berry, or nutlike
Tilia has nutlike
fruits associated with
distinctive
ovate bract
IV. Economic importance
A. Wood
1. Plywood -
glues easily
2. Boxes &
crates for foodstuff
doesn't smell
3. Concealed
parts of furniture
doesn't warp, check
4. Excelsior
- shaves easily
B. Soil improvement through high Ca, Mg, P,
N, K
content in leaves
C. Nectar source for honey bees
D. Ornamental
V. Range
A. World wide, mostly in tropics
Species Comparison - if you're looking for a taxonomy project,
have I got the genus for you!
I. Tilia americana {T. glabra} (American basswood)
A. 10-15 cm long broadly ovate leaves
B. Axillary tufts of hair
II. T. tomentosa {T. argentea, T. alba,
T. americana var. heterophylla}
(White, Silver Basswood, Beetree)
A. 7.5-11.5 cm long orbicular leaves
B. White/tan stellate tomentose underside
of leaf
III. T. cordata {T. ulmifolia,
T. parvilolia, T. europea}
[small flowered]
(Small Leaved Linden)
A. 3.7-7.25 cm long orbicular leaves
B. Dark green above
C. Dark blue/green below
D. Glaucous & glabrous with axillary tufts
of brown hair
E. Fruit with fragile shell
IV. T. platyphyllos {T. grandifolia,
T. europea}
[broad leaved]
(Large Leaved
Lime)
A. 7.5-10 cm long orbicular-ovate leaves
B. Dull green above
C. light green below
D. lightly pubescent with axillary tufts
E. Fruit with thick shell
IV. T. europaea -> hybrid T. cordata
X T. platyphyllos
(European Linden)
A. 5-10 cm long broadly ovate leaves
B. Dark green above
C. Bright green below
D. Glabrous with axillary tufts of hair
E. Fruit with thick shell
V. T. euchlora
-> hybrid T. dasystyla X probably T. cordata
(Crimean Linden)
A. 5-10 cm long broadly ovate leaves
B. Shiny pale green above
C. Pale green below
D. Glabrous with axillary tufts of brown hair
E. Fruit with thick shell