1. Leaf Presentations
Review Material

2. Step 1: Tree Type
When identifying trees, you will need to determine whether they are conifers or deciduous trees.
--Gymnosperms are a taxonomic class that includes plants whose seeds are not enclosed in an ovule (like a pine cone). Gymnosperm means as "naked seed". This group is often referred to as softwoods. Gymnosperms usually have needles that stay green throughout the year. Examples are pines, cedars, spruces and firs. Some gymnosperms do drop their leaves - ginkgo, dawn redwood, and baldcypress, to name a few.

3. Conifer Examples

4. Tree Type
Angiosperms are a taxonomic class of plants in which the mature seed is surrounded by the ovule (think of an apple). This group is often referred to as hardwoods. Angiosperms are trees have broad leaves that usually change color and die every autumn. Oaks, maples and dogwoods are examples of deciduous trees. Some angiosperms that hold their leaves include rhododendron, live oak, and sweetbay magnolia.

5. Angiosperm

6. Step 2: Branching Pattern
Leaves either grow on opposite or alternate sides of a twig. If they are growing on opposite sides of a twig, there is a very good chance that the tree is a maple, ash or dogwood.
Buds will also be on opposite or alternate sides of a twig. This is very helpful during winter tree identification

7. Mad Dog Chases a Buckeye!

8. Leaf Parts Major parts we need to know are Apex: tip of leaf
Petitole: Stalk
Midrib(vein): Central
Blade: expanded portion
Stipule: A growth at base of petitole, leaves scars on the twig when dropped

9. Simple Leaves have a single leaf blade.
Step 3: Leaf Types
Individual leaves can also be classified as either simple or compound (several to many leaflets per leaf)
Simple Leaves have a single leaf blade.

10. Actually this type of compound is know as pinnately compound.
Step 3: Leaf Types
Compound leaves have several leaflets attached to a midrib or rachis.  The rachis is not particularly woody and no buds occur at the base of the leaflets.
Actually this type of compound is know as pinnately compound.

11. Step 4: Margins
Leaf margins (the edge around the leaf) can have many different forms.
When tiny to large coarse teeth are present along the margins it is said to be Serrate.
Serrate comes in many forms such as fine, coarse, single, or double toothed but for us we’ll just define it as serrate.

12. Step 4: Margins
Other trees have lobed leaves; that is, the blade is divided into lobes by shallow to deep notches.
The parts of the blade that extend from the leaf are called lobes the indentations are called sinuses.
Sometimes Lobes and serrate come in combination too!

13. Step 4: Margins
If the margin of the leaf is smooth and unvaried the leaf is said to be entire.

14. Step 5: Vein Patterns or Compound Patterns
The pattern the veins make in a leaf can described commonly as either;
*Pinnate (arcuate)
*Palmate
Parallel
Reticulate

15. Step 5: Vein Patterns or Compound Patterns
For our purposes we’ll use only pinnate and palmate with arcuate falling under pinnate.
Compound leaves fall under these descriptions too but all of our leaves will be pinnately compound.

16. Step 6: Basic Leaf Shapes
Egg or Ovoid
Elliptical or Oval
Lanceolate

17. Step 6: Basic Leaf Shapes
Feather Lobed or pinnately lobed
Fan-lobed or Palmately Lobed
Heart Shaped or Cordate

18. Step 6: Basic Leaf Shapes
Narrow or linear
Wedge or Obovate
Acicular

19. Step 6: Conifer Leaves
Leaves can grow on conifers as either scales, single needles, or in groups called fascicles. Cedar leaves grow as scales.  Spruces, firs, hemlocks as well as others grow single needles.  Pines grow needles in fascicles.
Remember the shape is usually considered acicular for the needles

20. Step 6: Conifer Leaves
Scales
Single-Needle
# needles per fascicle

21. Dog Wood Margins - Entire Veination - Pinnate Type - Simple
Shape - Egg

22. Loblolly Pine
Needles in Cluster 3
Length
5-7 inches

23. Red Bud Margins - Entire Venation - Palmate Type - Simple
Shape - Heart

24. Willow Oak Margins - Entire Veination - Pinnate Type - Simple
Shape - narrow

25. Walnut Margins - Serrate Veination - Pinnate Type - Pinnately compound
Shape - Oval

26. Winged Elm Margins - Serrate Veination - Pinnate Type - Simple
Shape - Elliptical

27. Sweet Gum Margins - Serrate and Lobed Veination - Palmate
Type - Simple
Shape - Fan

28. Eastern Red Cedar
Scales

29. Red Maple Margins - Serrate and Lobed Veination - Palmate
Type - Simple
Shape - Fan

30. Crape Myrtle Margins - Entire Veination - Pinnate Type - Simple
Shape - Elliptical

31. White Oak Margins - lobed Venation - Pinnate Type - Simple
Shape - Feather

32. American Beech Margins - Serrate Veination - Pinnate Type - Simple
Shape - Elliptical

33. Tulip Poplar Margins - Lobed Veination - Pinnate Type - Simple
Shape - Fan

34. Short Leaf Pine
Needles to a cluster
Two
Size
3-5 inches

35. Scarlet Oak Margins - Serrate and Lobed Veination - Pinnate
Type - Simple
Shape - Feather

36. American Holly Margins - Serrate Veination - Pinnate Type - Simple
Shape - Elliptical

37. Black Cherry Tree Margins - Serrate Veination - Pinnate Type - Simple
Shape - oval

38. Butternut, Sand Hickory
Margins - Serrate
Veination - Pinnate
Type - Pinnately Compound
Shape - Elliptical

39. Northern Red Oak Margins - Serrate and Lobed Veination - Pinnate
Type - Simple
Shape - Feather

40. Sourwood Margins - Serrate Veination - Pinnate Type - Simple
Shape - elliptical, narrow

41. Water Oak Margins - Entire Veination - Pinnate Type - Simple
Shape - Wedge

42. Southern Magnolia Margins - Entire Veination - Pinnate Type - Simple
Shape - narrow

43. Black Gum Margins - Entire Veination - Pinnate Type - Simple
Shape – oval, Elliptical

44. Ash Margins - Serrate Veination - Pinnate Type - pinnately compound
Shape - narrow

45. Post Oak Margins - Lobed Veination - Pinnate Type - Simple
Shape - Feather

46. Southern Red Oak Margins - Serrate and Lobed Veination - Pinnate
Type - Simple
Shape - Feather

47. White Pine
Five needles to a cluster
soft needles
3-5 inches long

48. Southern Sugar Maple Margins - Serrate and Lobed Veination - Palmate
Type - Simple
Shape - Fan

49. Sycamore Margins - Serrate and Lobed Veination - Palmate Type - Simple
Shape - Fan

50. Mimmosa Margins - Entire Veination - Pinnate
Type - Bipinnatelycompound
Shape - narrow

51. American Elm Margins - Serrate Veination - Pinnate Type - Simple
Shape - Elliptical

52. River Birch Margins - Serrate Veination - Pinnate Type - Simple
Shape - egg, oval

53. Black Oak Margins - Serrate and Lobed Veination - Pinnate
Type - Simple
Shape - Feather
Fuzzy Leaf

54. Willow Tree Margins - Serrate Veination - Pinnate Type - Simple
Shape - narrow