Family: Hippocastanaceae / Sapindaceae (APG)
Common name: Horse Chestnut
Scientific name: Aesculus hippocastanum
Date taken: 18/9/2022 (Flower), 1/4/2023 (New leaves)
Notes: Introduced tree commonly planted in gardens. Normally flowers in May but the flowers below were spotted in September after a long drought. A leaf-miner causes leaves on most trees in the UK to turn brown over summer.
Family: Aceraceae / Sapindaceae (APG)
Common name: Sycamore
Scientific name: Acer pseudoplatanus
Date taken: 28/8/2022
Notes: Introduced to the country in the 16th century and has since established itself as one of the most common tree species in the UK. As the scientific name Acer pseudoplatanus suggests, this maple has leaves that resembles Planes (Platanus sp.) trees. Like other maples, fruits of Sycamore are winged for wind dispersal. Also note how the petiole attaches the leaves to the branches and the domatia (structures to house mutualistic arthropods such as mites) at the bases of secondary veins.
