ID: 010

To ID from the key:

1 Buds alternate

35 Spines absent

38 Buds lying flat against stem

39 2 or more bud scales present

40 buds scales not green with brown margins

45 bud scales hairy (to varying degree) – tips on some have hairs

46 buds orange to medium brown

47 twigs slender, zigzagging and rippled

= HORNBEAM

Name: Hornbeam, Carpinus betulus

Notes:

Comparing against the description by Price and Bersweden (2013): twigs brown, often zigzagged, slightly hairy (yes to all). Pale brown buds, close to stem, often curve inwards slightly.

I looked for a record on nbn atlas for a hornbeam and found a record in this village. Once there I had to look around the village as the coordinates were not exact. In the end I spotted it in between 2 beech trees! This allowed me to compare the 2 species side-by-side, where we can clearly see the beech buds are longer/pointier and point away from the stem.