Author Topic: I'll kick myself when someone tells me what tree this is (Read 1712 times)

Woolywolf · « **on:** March 12, 2009, 03:39:33 pm »

This one has got me completely baffled. It's a little understory tree with evergreen leaves and minutely toothed/crenate margins. The leaves don't have any smell to them, and the underside of the leaf is pubescent. It looks like it has opposite branching--at times--and at times alternate branching that could be tightly clustered. A few leaves are turning a purplish color and dropping. Deer have been chomping on the leaves.

It was found on a piedmont soil with pines (loblolly) and lots of hardwoods--northern red oak, beech, yellow poplar--on a north facing slope close to a little intermitent stream. I thought that maybe it was Gordonia Lasianthus, but the habitat doesn't seem to fit what it is ussually in, and the underside of the leaves are pubescent. Any ideas?

DanG · « **Reply #1 on:** March 12, 2009, 03:47:43 pm »

Some sort of a Bay, perhaps?

ely · « **Reply #2 on:** March 12, 2009, 04:17:04 pm »

looks like a rhododenron or ever how you spell that. the leaves look like a fruit tree though.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #3 on:** March 12, 2009, 05:16:19 pm »

Might not even be evergreen, some shrubs/trees can retain old leaves until spring in milder climates. I've seen red huckleberry do it on the north coast of BC. That sure reminds me of a viburnum. I know it ain't wild raisin, leaf stem isn't winged, but what about blackhaw? Took me a while to figure out where I seen that structure and leaf underside. There are probably other viburnums not in my book, but that's got to be the genus.

Chico · « **Reply #4 on:** March 12, 2009, 06:32:59 pm »

I agree with DanG looks like a bay tree to me
Chico

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #5 on:** March 12, 2009, 06:52:57 pm »

Could very well be, leaf looks kinda dull and broad though. But, sometimes them Audubon pictures are much to be desired.

fishpharmer · « **Reply #6 on:** March 12, 2009, 07:27:59 pm »

could it be Symplocos tinctoria, Common Sweetleaf?

Does it taste sweet?

This is just a guess. Not sure.

Banjo picker · « **Reply #7 on:** March 12, 2009, 08:30:00 pm »

Sweet bay . Tim

WDH · « **Reply #8 on:** March 12, 2009, 11:24:43 pm »

I am thinking fringe tree, Chionanthus virginicus. It is deciduous, however. Those leaves look a little beat up, so maybe they are tardily deciduous and are just hanging on.

It is not horse sugar since your specimen is opposite branched and horse sugar is alternate. It is not sweetbay since sweetbay is alternate and the undersides would be reflective silver.

The thing that bothers me is that the bark is darker than I would expect from fringe tree. Hmmmm. If it flowers, that will tell the tale.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #9 on:** March 13, 2009, 05:33:18 am »

I've settled on a viburnum species, leaves are often pubescent and opposite. We'll know when she flowers.

Banjo picker · « **Reply #10 on:** March 13, 2009, 06:16:50 am »

Quote from: Banjo picker on March 12, 2009, 08:30:00 pm

Sweet bay . Tim

I am going to have to hang in there like a hair in a biscuit on this one for a while yet anyway. I think the sweetbay leaves kind of grow in a wad or whorled I believe its called. And as to the silver underbelly, as WHD said I agree. Look at the third pic. down. It looks a little like it might be that. Buts theys a bunch of trees in just the bay family, and it might be one of them others as well.

The sweetbay down here tries to act a little like a evergreen like SD mentioned. Tim

WDH · « **Reply #11 on:** March 13, 2009, 08:03:53 am »

The oppopsite branching narrows it down to a potential handful. It can only be a couple of plants.

It might be Viburnum nudum, Possumhaw. If I had to bet a million $ on it, I would go with Possumhaw over Fringe Tree at this point without the telling flowers.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #12 on:** March 13, 2009, 08:10:42 am »

Sure wish I was standing right there over the little bush.

WDH · « **Reply #13 on:** March 13, 2009, 09:00:59 am »

OK, no fertilizing the samples

.

Woolywolf · « **Reply #14 on:** March 13, 2009, 03:54:19 pm »

I've looked in all my tree books. It doesn't meet all the critera of any given species, so maybe I've found a new species--o r maybe not

. I think what's throwing me off is the branching pattern. I learned in dendrology that if you can find a few instances of opposite branching then the tree is more than likely opposite. But I don't think that's the case here. I think it's an optical illusion. I agree with Banjopicker that maybe this guy really is alternate and so tightly alternate at times that it appears to be whorled or opposite. Instead of sweetbay, I think that it is Loblolly bay. Sweetbay, since its in the Magnolia family, usually has stipular scars that circle the twig, while this tree doesn't. Although it does have minute toothes, they are not like those of Viburnum prunifolium, and it doesn't have the rusty red hairs of rusty blackhaw. The more I think about it, the habitat seems like a prime candidate for loblolly bay--cool and wet--even though it is not a sandy coastal plain soil. Raleigh is right on the edge of the piedmont and coastal plain. I'm not very familiar with sweetleaf, so I'll have to go back and have a chew. I know the leaves didn't have any smell to them, which also make me think that it is loblolly bay.

WDH · « **Reply #15 on:** March 13, 2009, 05:01:07 pm »

The pics show it to be decidedly opposite branched from what I can see.

Tom · « **Reply #16 on:** March 13, 2009, 05:31:42 pm »

It's not a Sweet Gum!

I keep trying to make it a Paw Paw. I know the leaves don't seem to be right, not long, pear shaped and the sharp serrations don't fit. But, wouldn't it be great to have a Paw Paw there?

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #17 on:** March 13, 2009, 06:00:23 pm »

Viburnum

I have lots of books and no book lists all the shrubs out there.

WDH · « **Reply #18 on:** March 13, 2009, 10:07:35 pm »

Tom,

There are some fine paw paws just east of there! I know because I ate some there this last fall

.

http://www.forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,33342.0.html

Tom · « **Reply #19 on:** March 13, 2009, 10:38:33 pm »

I sure wish I had some around here. I found some on the Satilla years ago, but that is a long way to go to fight coons for the fruit.

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Author Topic: I'll kick myself when someone tells me what tree this is (Read 1712 times)