The trees

 🌿 Green Ash 🌿

Fraxinus pennsylvanica

General :

Deciduous trees to 12 m tall; trunk to 45 cm in diameter, lager on good site; bark greyish brown, becomes broken into firm, narrow, irregular, slightly raised ridges running into each other and giving somewhat.

Leaves: 

25-30 cm long; typically 7 leaflets (sometimes 5), oval, 7-12 cm wide, tapered to each end; green above, paler and sparely hairy below; edges toothed or smooth.

Flowers: 

Inconspicuous in compact, many-flowered clusters; appear at same time as leaves, with sexes on separate trees.

Fruit: 

Samaras (seeds with long, membranous, yellowish green wing), to 4.5 cm long, 6 mm wide; in hanging clusters.

🍃 Elm 🍃

Ulmus americana

General : 

Deciduous trees, typically 20-25 m tall, 90-120 cm in diameter, large on good sites; crown umbrella-like on mature trees; bark dark greyish brown with broad, deep, intersecting ridges, often scaly; buds sharp-pointed, pale reddish brown with slightly hairy scales, somewhat flattened and lying close to twig; sapwood nearly white.

Leaves: 

Oval, 10 cm long, 5-9 cm wide; dark green and slightly rough above, pale green below, with soft hairs; edges double-toothed; leaf-based not symmetrical; leaf veins prominent.

Flowers: 

In little bunches early in spring before leaves appear; both sexes in same flower.

Fruits: 

Flat, oval, 1-seeded samaras, about 1 cm wide; wing deeply notched at tip, hairless except fringe around edge.

 

 

🌱 Fun botany knowledge 🌱

1. Look at picture 1. This is one leaf without doubt.
2. Then look at picture 2. How many leaves can you see? Five? The answer is no. This is still one leaf that has five little leaves. Based on how the little leaves lined, this kind of leaf is named pinnate compound leaves.
3. Let’s learn more about pinnate compound leaves. Can you tell me the difference between picture 3 and picture 4?
4. So the leaves that have one little leaf on the top is called odd-pinnately compound leaves. And the leaves that have nothing on the top is called even-pinnately compound leaves.
5. I think you have known more about plant’s leaves now. Congratulations!