Common Trees of the North Carolina Piedmont

Stephen M. Seiberling, Alan S. Weakley, and Peter S. White


Implicit Attributes

Unless indicated otherwise, the following attributes are implicit throughout the species descriptions, except where the characters concerned are inapplicable. In other words, each of the following character states is present in the 44 trees contained in this database, unless an alternative state is given for that character, or the character simply does not apply to that species.

Detailed Description:

Plant habit and life style. Plants perennial, woody, tree, upright, autotrophic, not carnivorous, sap clear.

Stems. Stems aerial. Pith present. Twigs (2–4 years old) without special surface features. Leaf scars present, bundle scars present, short shoots absent.

Buds. Bud clusters at ends of twigs absent.

Leaves. Leaves broad-leaved, cauline, spreading, needles in clusters or fascicles, leaf margins plane, unlobed, leaf cross section two-angled, without keels. Leaf upper surface lacking color variegation. Leaf lower surface lacking color variegation. Leaf upper surface venation relatively planar. Leaflet margins plane, leaflets unlobed. Petioles without special surface features. Rachises without special surface features.

Flowers. Inflorescences not composites. Perianth. Calyx present. Corolla present. Androecium. Staminodes absent. Other floral features. Receptacle chaff absent, hypanthia absent, involucres absent. Pappus absent.

Cones. Seed cones opening to release seeds, not serotinous. Seed cone scales unarmed. Apophyses not keeled.


Cite this publication as: ‘Stephen M. Seiberling, Alan S. Weakley, and Peter S. White (2005 onwards). Common Trees of the North Carolina Piedmont: Identification, Descriptions, Illustrations, and Glossary. Version: March 7, 2006. <http://www.ibiblio.org/openkey/intkey/>’.

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