1. Forestry Science I Unit 3 Lesson 3
Created by Ms. Holli Bowman
FORS 7730
Fall 2001
Modified by Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office
July 2002

2. Definitions
Carl von Linne (Linnaeus), a Swedish botanist was the first to use a system of classifying plants in which members of the plant kindom are divided into classes, orders, families, genera and species.
Orders -- made up of one or more families, the names generally end in aceae.
Families -- made up of one or more genera.

3. Definitions
Taxonomy -- the classification of plants and animals according to natural relationships. Taxonomy uses Latin as its language. When using “scientific” names for trees, the genus name is always written first and it is capitalized.
Angiospermae -- the class of trees which is made up of the hardwood species
Gymnospermae -- the class of trees made up of coniferous species

4. Tree Characteristics
Leaves
Twigs
Bark
Fruit

5. Leaves
Generally, most trees can be identified by type, size, shape, color, texture and the arrangement of the leaves.
Leaf forms
Leaf apexes
Leaf margins
Leaf bases
Margin -- the outside “edge” of the leaf

6. Twigs Twigs- one of three ways. -Alternate -Whorled -Opposite
Major identifying characteristics of twigs include buds, leaf scars, lenticels and bark

7. Bark
The most important identification feature in dormant winter periods.
Identifying characteristics of bark include thickness, roughness, type of fissures, color and in some cases, odor.
Twigs and Bark are two of the most helpful characteristics in identifying broad-leaved trees in the winter.

8. Fruit Fruits are grouped into Simple and Compound.
Simple fruits consist of a single, enlarged ovary with which some other flower parts may be incorporated. They are divided into two major groups: fleshy fruits and dry fruits.
Compound fruits are divided into two major groups: aggregate fruit and multiple fruit.

9. Simple Fruits Fleshy Fruits
Berry: the outer and inner walls are fleshy and enclose one or more seeds
Drupe (or stone fruit): fruit is one-seeded. The outer part is fleshy, but the inner part is stony
Pome: the outer portion of the fruit is fleshy; the inner portion is somewhat “papery” and forms a “core” containing numerous seeds.

10. Simple Fruits Dry Fruits Dehiscent (those that split open when ripe)
Legume
Capsule
Indehiscent (those that do not open when ripe)
Achene
Samara
Nut -- hard, usually one-seeded, with a bony, woody, leathery or papery wall.

11. Compound Fruits
Aggregate fruit -- cluster of ripened fruits produced from a single flower
Multiple fruit -- cluster of fruits of separate flowers crowded together forming what appears to be a single fruit