Mystery plant

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dick Harris on July 17, 2014 at 20:38

It looks as though it might belong to the cotoneaster family although seed pods sound more like one of the genista family.

Permalink Reply by Nemone Mercer on July 17, 2014 at 21:14

Could it be an Acacia? They have seed pods that look like pea pods...

Nemone

Permalink Reply by David Solomon on July 17, 2014 at 22:06

Genista and Acacia are both in the pea family (Leguminosae) whose leaves are mostly compound - ie subdivided into leaflets and often (though not always) pinnate -ie two rows of leaflets on either side of the midrib or ternate (three leaflets, like clover and possibly Genista).  The leaves here look simple (not subdivided). 

Cotoneaster is rose family (Rosaceae) whose leaves are often serrate (saw-toothed margins) though not in the Cotoneasters. Howeverit is my impression that they also usually have petioles (leaf stalks) whereas the leaves here seem stalkless (are they?) smooth-margined and rather leathery.  

Does this shrub flower? Do you have picture of the flowers or the seedpods? 

Permalink Reply by Chris Setz on July 18, 2014 at 0:32

David, by editing various things together (notably the Opal Tree Health Survey leaflet), I've tried to create a single A4 page that can be used to identify practically any street tree in Haringey, for use on the regular street tree walks I help organise on behalf of Haringey Tree Wardens.

I use it to help people discover more about trees - beginners often simply want to know what tree they are looking at and, rather than be the font of all knowledge (I'm a beginner too!) I thought it better to equip them with an easy means to answer their own question. Most have never heard the word pinnate before (Latin for feather, I think) so your post made me think - you couldn't look at it and let me know if there are glaring errors or if it can be improved can you? I'm not that great at drawing, apologies.

bit.ly/treekeys

The photoshop file is there too if you can use it in any way - I give away freely any copyrights to it I might possess.

Permalink Reply by Hugh on July 18, 2014 at 0:48

There's also an app to o this - Leafsnap.

Permalink Reply by Chris Setz on July 18, 2014 at 1:02

Sure is! They've just released a UK version, courtesy of the natural history museum :)

To use it, you need to photo a leaf against a clear white background (eg bit of white paper) and it's iPhone only at the moment and has been for several years now.

Smartphones can be hard to use on sunny days outside, particularly in those of our streets with poor reception.

There's a few others that work by Q&A (with images) on a smartphone too - if you have ever used any, please add to our info page about treee id apps here: www.HaringeyTreeWardens.org.uk/apps

Permalink Reply by Ewan Alexander on July 17, 2014 at 22:22

My brain is struggling but if if it has pea-like pods then it's most likely leguminous - the name'll probably come back to me as I'm falling asleep!

Permalink Reply by David Solomon on July 18, 2014 at 13:43

Yes, the pods really do make it look like a legume (sorry, I didn't see them before, they're the pale brown things at the ends of some branches, right?) so  it may be that what look like leaves are not leaves at all but  "phyllodes" ie modified leaf-stalks, flattened and looking like leaves - where the leaf itself has degenerated through evolution and is no longer present. A number of plants have phyllodes, including some acacias that don't have pinnate leaves. I would guess that phyllodes may have veins - if any - that are parallel to the edges, rather than branching from a midrib as in may leaves and leaflets. You could check that. 

Google Acacia pravissima (Oven's wattle) to see an acacia that has phyllodes unlike the more common Acacia dealbata (often grown in gardens and known as "Mimosa") that has fine pinnate leaves.

Neither of these is the mystery plant but there is some resemblance to A. pravissima