Flowers

At certain times of year, flowers offer means of identification. Trees that rely on animals or insects for pollination often display large, showy flowers at the tips of twigs. However, most trees have small inconspicuous flowers, found in clusters at the junction of the leaves and twigs. Many technical terms describe flower clusters; the more common include the raceme (black cherry, locust), catkin (oak, hickory, willows, birches), corymb (hawthorn), panicle (ash), and clustered heads (sweet gum, sycamore). See Figure 7-4 for illustrations of some common flowers.

Figure 7-4.Illustrations of Common Flowers