Portal:Trees

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In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are usable as lumber or plants above a specified height. In wider definitions, the taller palms, tree ferns, bananas, and bamboos are also trees.

Trees are not a monophyletic taxonomic group but consist of a wide variety of plant species that have independently evolved a trunk and branches as a way to tower above other plants to compete for sunlight. The majority of tree species are angiosperms or hardwoods; of the rest, many are gymnosperms or softwoods. Trees tend to be long-lived, some reaching several thousand years old. Trees evolved around 370 million years ago, and it is estimated that there are around three trillion mature trees in the world currently.

A tree typically has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground by the trunk, which typically contains woody tissue for strength, and vascular tissue to carry materials from one part of the tree to another. For most trees the trunk is surrounded by a layer of bark which serves as a protective barrier. Below the ground, the roots branch and spread out widely; they serve to anchor the tree and extract moisture and nutrients from the soil. Above ground, the branches divide into smaller branches and shoots. The shoots typically bear leaves, which capture light energy and convert it into sugars by photosynthesis, providing the food for the tree's growth and development.

Trees usually reproduce using seeds. Flowers and fruit may be present, but some trees, such as conifers, instead have pollen cones and seed cones. Palms, bananas, and bamboos also produce seeds, but tree ferns produce spores instead.

Trees play a significant role in reducing erosion and moderating the climate. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store large quantities of carbon in their tissues. Trees and forests provide a habitat for many species of animals and plants. Tropical rainforests are among the most biodiverse habitats in the world. Trees provide shade and shelter, timber for construction, fuel for cooking and heating, and fruit for food as well as having many other uses. In much of the world, forests are shrinking as trees are cleared to increase the amount of land available for agriculture. Because of their longevity and usefulness, trees have always been revered, with sacred groves in various cultures, and they play a role in many of the world's mythologies. (Full article...)

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Brachychiton rupestris (commonly known as the narrow-leaved bottle tree or Queensland bottle tree) is a tree in the family Malvaceae, endemic to Queensland, Australia. Described by Sir Thomas Mitchell and John Lindley in 1848, it earned its name from its bulbous trunk, which can be up to 3.5 metres (11 ft) in diameter at breast height (DBH). Reaching around 10–25 m (33–82 ft) high, the Queensland bottle tree is deciduous, losing its leaves seasonally, between September and December. The leaves are simple or divided, with one or more narrow leaf blades up to 11 centimetres (4 in) long and 2 cm (0.8 in) wide. Cream-coloured flowers appear from September to November, and are followed by woody, boat-shaped follicles that ripen from November to May. No subspecies are recognised.

As a drought deciduous succulent tree, much like the baobab (Adansonia) of Madagascar, B. rupestris adapts readily to cultivation, and is quite tolerant of a range of soils and temperatures. It is a key component and emergent tree in the endangered central semi-evergreen vine thickets (also known as bottletree scrub) of the Queensland Brigalow Belt. Remnant trees are often left by farmers on cleared land for their value as shade and fodder trees, and as homes for various birds and animals. (Full article...)

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... that veneration of the Amla tree (pictured), in particular on Amalaka Ekadashi, is due to the belief that the god Vishnu resides in and near the tree?
... that the future of the tropical tree Milicia regia for timber production is threatened by a gall fly, Phytolyma lata?
... that the churchyard of All Saints Church, Ulcombe in England contains a yew tree claimed to be more than 2,000 years old?
... that seeds of the extinct tree Eucommia eocenica have been found with latex covered fossils?
... that the fruits of the Lecythis ampla tree resemble little wooden pots with lids?
... that fossilized seeds of the extinct tree Eucommia montana are found from British Columbia to Colorado?
... that the Australian tree Agathis atropurpurea is known as the black kauri or the blue kauri because of the colour of its bark?

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Coconut (Cocos nucifera) in Martinique

The Arecaceae (/ærəˈkeɪsiaɪ/) is a family of perennial, flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm trees. Currently, 181 genera with around 2,600 species are known, most of which are restricted to tropical and subtropical climates. Most palms are distinguished by their large, compound, evergreen leaves, known as fronds, arranged at the top of an unbranched stem, except for the Hyphaene genus, who has branched palms. However, palms exhibit an enormous diversity in physical characteristics and inhabit nearly every type of habitat within their range, from rainforests to deserts.

Palms are among the best known and most extensively cultivated plant families. They have been important to humans throughout much of history, especially in regions like the Middle East and North Africa. A wide range of common products and foods are derived from palms. In contemporary times, palms are also widely used in landscaping. In many historical cultures, because of their importance as food, palms were symbols for such ideas as victory, peace, and fertility. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various tree-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Recently stripped cork oak (Quercus suber) (from Tree)
Image 2Conifers in the Swabian alps (from Tree)
Image 3Alleé of London plane trees (Platanus × acerifolia) in garden (from Tree)
Image 4Lepidodendron, an extinct lycophyte tree (from Tree)
Image 54000 years old Cypress of Abarqu is the oldest tree in Iran and the second oldest tree in the world. (from List of trees of Iran)
Image 6The General Sherman Tree, thought to be the world's largest by volume (from Tree)
Image 7Spiny forest at Ifaty, Madagascar, featuring various Adansonia (baobab) species, Alluaudia procera (Madagascar ocotillo) and other vegetation (from Forest)
Image 8Since the 13th century, the Niepołomice Forest in Poland has had special use and protection. In this view from space, different coloration can indicate different functions. (from Forest)
Image 9Alnus glutinosa (from List of trees of Great Britain and Ireland)
Image 10The Daintree Rainforest (from Tree)
Image 11Burned forest on Thasos (from Forest)
Image 12Trees in art: Weeping Willow, Claude Monet, 1918 (from Tree)
Image 13Roof trusses made from softwood (from Tree)
Image 14Latex collecting from a rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) (from Tree)
Image 15Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) tapped to collect sap for maple syrup (from Tree)
Image 16Forest in the Scottish Highlands (from Forest)
Image 17Share of land that is covered by forest (from Forest)
Image 18A section of yew (Taxus baccata) showing 27 annual growth rings, pale sapwood and dark heartwood (from Tree)
Image 19Selling firewood at a market (from Tree)
Image 20A forest near Vinitsa, North Macedonia (from Forest)
Image 21Common ash (Fraxinus excelsior), a deciduous broad-leaved (angiosperm) tree (from Tree)
Image 22Latvian Pine Forest in Ķegums Municipality (from Forest)
Image 23Buds, leaves and reproductive structures of white fir (Abies alba) (from Tree)
Image 24Redwood tree in northern California redwood forest, where many redwood trees are managed for preservation and longevity, rather than being harvested for wood production (from Forest)
Image 25Temperate rainforest in Tasmania's Hellyer Gorge (from Forest)
Image 26Even, dense old-growth stand of beech trees (Fagus sylvatica) prepared to be regenerated by their saplings in the understory, in the Brussels part of the Sonian Forest. (from Forest)
Image 27People trees, by Pooktre (from Tree)
Image 28Fraxinus excelsior (from List of trees of Great Britain and Ireland)
Image 29Northern beech (Fagus sylvatica) trunk in autumn (from Tree)
Image 30Proportion and distribution of global forest area by climatic domain, 2020 (from Forest)
Image 31Cracked thorny skin of a Aesculus tree seed (from Tree)
Image 32World production of selected forest products (from Forest)
Image 33Proportion of forest in protected areas, by region, 2020 (from Forest)
Image 34Priest River winding through Whitetail Butte with lots of forestry to the east—these lot patterns have existed since the mid-19th century. The white patches reflect areas with younger, smaller trees, where winter snow cover shows up brightly to the astronauts. Dark green-brown squares are parcels (from Forest)
Image 35Malus sylvestris (from List of trees of Great Britain and Ireland)
Image 36Wind dispersed seed of elm (Ulmus), ash (Fraxinus) and maple (Acer) (from Tree)
Image 37Neem tree at Sant Nenuram Ashram (from Trees of Pakistan)
Image 38Olive trees in Pakistan (from Trees of Pakistan)
Image 39Buds, leaves, flowers and fruit of oak (Quercus robur) (from Tree)
Image 40Share of forest area in total land area, top countries (2021) (from Forest)
Image 41Yggdrasil, the World Ash of Norse mythology (from Tree)
Image 42Garibaldi Provincial Park, British Columbia (from Forest)
Image 43The Amazon rainforest alongside the Solimões River, a tropical rainforest. These forests are the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems in the world. (from Forest)
Image 44Broadleaf forest in Bhutan (from Forest)
Image 45Informal upright style of bonsai on a juniper tree (from Tree)
Image 46Buttress roots of the kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra) (from Tree)
Image 47Palms and cycads as they might have appeared in the middle Tertiary (from Tree)
Image 48Diagram of secondary growth in a eudicot or coniferous tree showing idealised vertical and horizontal sections. A new layer of wood is added in each growing season, thickening the stem, existing branches and roots. (from Tree)
Image 49Rowan tree in Wicklow, Ireland (from List of trees of Great Britain and Ireland)
Image 50Dormant Magnolia bud (from Tree)
Image 51Form, leaves and reproductive structures of queen sago (Cycas circinalis) (from Tree)
Image 52European larch (Larix decidua), a coniferous tree which is also deciduous (from Tree)
Image 53Tall herbaceous monocotyledonous plants such as banana lack secondary growth, but are trees under the broadest definition. (from Tree)
Image 54A young red pine (Pinus resinosa) with spread of roots visible, as a result of soil erosion (from Tree)