A Flowering Plant That You Can ID...Solved!!.....Maple-Leaf Viburnum

[WDH]

Some of the leaves on this plant are distinctly 3 lobed.  Look at the last pic in the background on the top left quadrant of the pic.  See the distinct 3-lobed leaves?  I think that it might be maple-leaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium).  It is definitely either maple-leaf or arrowwood viburnum.  Sometimes maple-leaf viburnum will have unlobed leaves.  How about arrowwood viburnum.  Does it sometimes have 3-lobed leaves?

[Dodgy Loner]

Are you sure the one in the background with the 3-lobed leaves isn't a different plant?   I've seen maple-leaf viburnums that had a few unlobed leaves, but the leaves still had acuminate tips.  The close-up leaves lack acuminate tips.  I've also never seen an arrowwood viburnum with 3 lobes, but I suppose it could happen.  Looks like this mystery ain't solved yet.

[WDH]

It is possible that an arrowwood viburnum and a maple-leaf viburnum were growing side by side.  But, if so, I did not notice it.  I took the pic thinking it was a maple-leaf viburnum, but there were some unlobed leaves on this year's flush of new growth.  There were definitely some 3-lobed leaves on the plant attached to the flowers in the photo.  That leans me to Viburnum acerifolium.  Maple-leaf viburnum is supposed to be the only one with 3-lobed leaves.  According to the Manual of The Vascular Flora of the Carolinas, "leaves 3-lobed, rarely unlobed".

After the response to this post, I was scratching my head wondering if I had inadvertantly photographed an arrowwood viburnum while thinking that it was a maple-leaf viburnum.

This particular plant is just trying to play games with us  ;D.  There are always supposed to do just what the book say, right     

Maybe this is a newly unrecognized hybrid

[Dave Shepard]

That wasn't me, I wouldn't cheat by looking in a book. I did catch the culprit in the act though:
 



Dave

[WDH]

Well now we know that you have a tutor, Dave .

[Dave Shepard]

Who? Michal A Dirr? Becuase The Minicatt isn't much help!


Dave

[Dodgy Loner]

I took the pic thinking it was a maple-leaf viburnum, but there were some unlobed leaves on this year's flush of new growth.  There were definitely some 3-lobed leaves on the plant attached to the flowers in the photo.

So there were 3-lobed leaves on the plant, but you only showed us pics of the unlobed leaves?   That's almost as sneaky as showing only the terminal leaflet of a hickory leaf! 

You're probably right, though...just an atypical Viburnum acerifolium!

[WDH]

In my defense, it was the inflourescense that I was trying to show .  I was planning to show the pic with the 3-lobed leaves in the background as the next clue.  The unlobed leaves did not bother me at the time because I didn't know any better.  Know I know that they confuse the situation.  The good thing is that I learned something new .

[tcsmpsi]

Taking into consideration where you were at, WDH, it might help to recognize that snakes, plants...and humans, take on genetic foundations which the books haven't caught up to.   

Certain liberties have tendency to be taken full advantage of.

[WDH]

You said it Tcsmpsi, I didn't (although I would have if I had thought of it first ).

[Dodgy Loner]

On a related note, I found some chalk maples this weekend that disagreed with the convergent tip theory that I've been peddling to my students for the last three years .  The majority of the leaves on the plants looked like they should, but there were a few dissenters in the group to keep me on my toes.

[WDH]

One again proves the theory that, most of the time, there is no one sure-fire magic characteristic that is alway 100% certain in ID'ing a plant.  It is better to look at several characteristics and surround the plant than to bore in on only one thing  .

[SwampDonkey]

If you want to test your patience on leaf shape, explain to your students the general shape of rattlesnake root Prenanthes spp.  That must have one of the most variable shaped leaf a plant can come up with. 

But, generally it's sagitate.  Sometimes lobed (2-6), sometimes not. Sometimes coursely serrate, sometimes not. I find them mostly in alder thickets in organic soil.

[Dodgy Loner]

One again proves the theory that, most of the time, there is no one sure-fire magic characteristic that is alway 100% certain in ID'ing a plant.  It is better to look at several characteristics and surround the plant than to bore in on only one thing  .

Well said.  That's the most important message that I've been trying to get across for the last 3 years.