Biological Sciences 121: Plant Systems
Important Trees in the Illinois Landscape
Fall 2006

A sight identification quiz will be held in lab during the third week of class.  You must know the common name AND the genus name or the full scientific name as specified.  

All genus and species names must be properly spelled, CAPITALIZED, and underlined 
for full credit.  Notice that the genus name is always capitalized.  The specific epithet (“alba” in Quercus alba) is not capitalized.  Common names are not capitalized unless they contain a proper noun (e.g., London planetree).

Common Name	Genus	Scientific name (if required)	Native Habitat	
cottonwood	Populus		river sandbars	
willow	Salix		river sandbars	
ash	Fraxinus		lowland forest	
silver maple		Acer saccharinum	lowland forest, but weedy	
boxelder		Acer negundo	lowland forest, but weedy	
southern pin oak		Quercus palustris	lowland forest	
white oak		Quercus alba	upland forest	
red oak		Quercus rubra	upland forest	
hickory	Carya		mostly upland forest	
sugar maple		Acer saccharum	moist upland forest	
sassafras	Sassafras		widespread, upland	
elm	Ulmus		widespread, but weedy	
hackberry	Celtis		moist forest	
cherry	Prunus		widespread, upland	
tree of heaven	Ailanthus		widespread, exotic pest