Leaves broad and flat, never needle-like or scale-like; leaves simple,
alternate, toothed but not lobed.
1. Leaves asymmetrical at the base.
2. Leaves with 3 main veins arising from the base of the blade.
3. Edge of leaf with low, rounded teeth or merely wavy
_Hamamelis virginiana_
3. Edge of leaf sharply or finely toothed.
4. Most of all the leafstalks less than one inch long; trunk
usually warty.
5. Upper surface of leaf very rough to the touch; leaves thick
and leathery.
6. Leaves tapering to a long point at the tip; most or all
of the blades 3 inches long or longer
_Celtis occidentalis_
6. Leaves tapering to a short point at the tip; most or all
of the blades less than 3 inches long
_Celtis tenuifolia_
5. Upper surface of leaf smooth or only slightly rough to the
touch; leaves thin and membranaceous.
7. Leaves at least three times longer than broad
_Celtis laevigata_
7. Leaves less than three times longer than broad.
8. Some or all the leaves 3 inches long or longer
_Celtis occidentalis_
8. Leaves less than 3 inches long _Celtis tenuifolia_
4. Leafstalks more than 1 inch long.
9. Leaves smooth on the lower surface except for small tufts
of hairs where the veins meet _Tilia americana_
9. Leaves hairy on the lower surface.
10. Lower surface of leaves white _Tilia heterophylla_
10. Lower surface of leaves green _Tilia americana_
2. Leaves with one main vein arising from the base of the blade.
11. Some of the twigs with corky wings.
12. Some or all the leaves four inches long or longer;
leaf-stalks more than ⅛ inch long _Ulmus thomasii_
12. None of the leaves four inches long; leafstalks up to ⅛ inch
long _Ulmus alata_
11. Twigs without corky wings.
13. Leaves very rough-hairy to the touch _Ulmus rubra_
13. Leaves smooth or soft to the touch.
14. Edge of leaf doubly toothed (each tooth divided into a
second small tooth).
15. Leaves distinctly one-sided at the base; leafstalks
often smooth _Ulmus americana_
15. Leaves only slightly one-sided at the base; leafstalks
hairy.
16. Bark of trunk with sinewy ridges; fruit enclosed in
flat, 3-lobed bracts; lower lateral veins of leaf
unbranched _Carpinus caroliniana_
16. Bark of trunk broken into scales; fruit surrounded by
inflated, bladdery bracts; lower lateral veins of leaf
branched _Ostrya virginiana_
14. Edge of leaf singly toothed.
17. Leaves smooth on the lower surface; leafstalks smooth
_Ulmus pumila_
17. Leaves hairy on the lower surface, at least where the
veins meet; leafstalks usually hairy _Planera aquatica_
1. Leaves symmetrical at the base.
18. Leaves with 2-4 irregular teeth along the edges.
19. Leaves usually with 10 or more pairs of veins; leaf stalks
often 1½ inches long or longer _Nyssa aquatica_
19. Leaves usually with 6-8 pairs of veins; leaf stalks rarely as
long as 1½ inches _Nyssa sylvatica_
18. Leaves more regularly toothed with more than 4 teeth along the
edges.
20. Leafstalks with milky sap when broken.
21. Leaf stalks and lower surface of leaf with long hairs
_Broussonetia papyrifera_
21. Leaf stalks and lower surface of leaf smooth or with short
hairs.
22. Lower leaf surface hairy between the veins _Morus rubra_
22. Lower leaf surface smooth or hairy only on the veins
_Morus alba_
20. Leafstalks without milky sap when broken.
23. Leaves at least 4 times as long as broad.
24. Leafstalks less than ⅛ inch long; leaves irregularly
toothed along the edges _Salix interior_
24. Leafstalks more than ⅛ inch long; leaves regularly toothed
along the edges.
25. Leaves green on the lower surface _Salix nigra_
25. Leaves whitish on the lower surface.
26. Each leaf with a pair of leaf-like stipules at the
base of the leafstalk _Salix caroliniana_
26. Each leaf without a pair of leaf-like stipules
_Salix amygdaloides_
23. Leaves less than 4 times as long as broad.
27. Leaves as broad as long or broader.
28. Leaf stalks not flattened.
29. Leaves strongly whitened on the lower surface, not
heart-shaped at the base _Populus alba_
29. Leaves not strongly whitened on the lower leaf
surface, heart-shaped at the base
_Populus heterophylla_
28. Leaf stalks flattened.
30. Leaves basically triangular in shape, coarsely toothed
_Populus deltoides_
30. Leaves basically ovate or spherical, coarsely or
finely toothed.
31. Leaves with 20 or more fine teeth along the edges
_Populus tremuloides_
31. Leaves with up to 15 coarse teeth along the edges.
_Populus grandidentata_
27. Leaves longer than broad.
32. Twigs usually with sharp spines.
33. Leaves broadest below the middle; fruit a small apple.
34. Many of the leaves narrowly oblong to narrowly
elliptic _Malus angustifolia_
34. Most of the leaves ovate to oval to broadly
lance-shaped.
35. Twigs and young leaves densely hairy
_Malus ioensis_
35. Twigs and young leaves smooth or nearly so
_Malus coronaria_
33. Leaves broadest at or above the middle; fruit a
hawthorn.
36. Leaves broadest at the middle; leafstalks one inch
long or longer _Crataegus viridis_
36. Leaves broadest above the middle; leafstalks up to ¾
inch long.
37. Leaves leathery, smooth on both surfaces
_Crataegus crus-galli_
37. Leaves not leathery, usually somewhat hairy on the
lower surface _Crataegus punctata_
32. Twigs not spiny.
38. Some of the twigs with corky wings.
39. Some or all the leaves 4 inches long or longer;
leafstalks more than ⅛ inch long _Ulmus thomasii_
39. None of the leaves 4 inches long; leafstalks up to ⅛
inch long _Ulmus alata_
38. None of the twigs with corky wings.
40. Individual teeth along edge of the leaf at least ¼
inch long.
41. Most of the veins not reaching to the tip of each
leaf; lower surface of leaf usually silvery-white
_Quercus bicolor_
41. Most of the veins projecting to the tip of each
leaf; lower surface of leaf green or pale, but
usually not silvery-white.
42. Leaves usually with sharp-pointed teeth.
43. Fruit an acorn; lower leaf surface usually
covered with very short hairs
_Quercus muhlenbergii_
43. Fruit enclosed in a prickly bur; lower leaf
surface smooth or nearly so _Castanea dentata_
42. Leaves usually with somewhat rounded teeth.
44. Cup of acorn at least 1 inch across; trunk
whitish to gray _Quercus michauxii_
44. Cup of acorn less than 1 inch across; trunk
brown to black _Quercus prinus_
40. Individual teeth along edge of leaf up to ⅛ inch
long.
45. Some of the leaves produced from short, stubby
shoots along the main twigs _Ilex decidua_
45. Twigs without short, stubby side shoots.
46. Leafstalks with 1 or more small glands
(“bumps”), usually near the point of attachment
to the blade.
47. Each tooth along the edge of the leaf bearing
a small, reddish-brown gland.
48. Some or all leaves one inch broad or
broader.
49. Leaves flat _Prunus hortulana_
49. Leaves more or less folded down the middle
_Prunus munsoniana_
48. None of the leaves as much as one inch broad
_Prunus angustifolia_
47. Teeth along the edge of the leaf not bearing a
gland.
50. Leaves usually with a dull, wrinkled
surface; fruit a plum _Prunus americana_
50. Leaves usually appearing smooth and rather
shiny; fruit an elongated cluster of small
cherries.
51. Teeth along edge of leaf curving inward,
usually rather blunt _Prunus serotina_
51. Teeth along edge of leaf pointing outward,
usually sharp-pointed _Prunus virginiana_
46. Leafstalks not bearing glands.
52. Leaves doubly toothed along the edges.
53. Bark peeling off into papery strips or
layers; leaves usually about two-thirds as
broad as long or broader.
54. Bark yellowish, silvery-gray, or
creamy-white.
55. Bark yellowish or silvery-gray; leaves
with 8 or more pairs of veins
_Betula lutea_
55. Bark creamy-white; leaves with no more
than 7 pairs of veins
_Betula papyrifera_
54. Bark reddish-brown _Betula nigra_
53. Bark broken into small plates, or smooth and
sinewy, not peeling off into papery strips
or layers.
56. Bark of trunk with sinewy ridges; fruit
enclosed in flat, 3-lobed bracts; lower
lateral veins of leaf unbranched
_Carpinus caroliniana_
56. Bark of trunk broken into scales; fruit
enclosed in inflated, bladdery bracts;
lower lateral veins of leaf branched
_Ostrya virginiana_
52. Leaves singly toothed along the edges.
57. Leaves heart-shaped at the base.
58. Leaves up to six inches long and nearly as
broad _Populus heterophylla_
58. Leaves not more than four inches long and
about half as broad.
59. Leaves bronze as they unfold; leafstalk
smooth _Amelanchier laevis_
59. Leaves densely white-hairy as they
unfold; leafstalk somewhat hairy
_Amelanchier arborea_
57. Leaves rounded or tapering to the base, not
heart-shaped.
60. Teeth along edge of leaf widely spaced, at
least ¼ inch apart _Fagus grandifolia_
60. Teeth along edge of leaf closely and
regularly spaced.
61. Leafstalk hairy; fruit fleshy.
62. Leaves shiny on the upper surface;
leafstalks ½ inch long or longer
_Rhamnus caroliniana_
62. Leaves dull on the upper surface;
leafstalks up to ¼ inch long
_Planera aquatica_
61. Leafstalk smooth at maturity; fruit dry
and variously winged.
63. Some of the leaves three inches long
or longer; fruit 4-winged or a woody
“cone.”
64. Leaves pointed at the tip; fruit
4-winged _Halesia carolina_
64. Leaves rounded at the tip; fruit a
woody “cone” _Alnus glutinosa_
63. Leaves less than 3 inches long; fruit
surrounded by a flat wing
_Ulmus pumila_