help with ID please.

[Timothy]

Hi all.Last year in winter i collected and planted seeds from a tree on the side of the road. I planted 30 + and only this 1 made it . So far it seems as if it's a slow grower . The leaves resemble something between a maple and an ivy. The trees were small and woody . So far this one's stem does not resemble wood yet . They are definitely deciduous as they were bare when i collected the seeds. This morning i went there and collected leaves off it , to compare it to mine,and it is the same tree. ( So it was'nt a random plant that germinated in the seed tray). The leaves on the parent tree seem smaller and less green than the one in the pic. Any ideas? ( i don't think it's indigenous to south africa).

[Timothy]

Here is unopened flower .

[kcpoole]

LiquidAmbar?

Ken

[Timothy]

Thanks for the reply mr poole. I don't think so . The leaves has no red colouring and are'nt very big. The parent trees are also not very tall . Does new L A leaves not have a deep red colour , after unfolding?

Thanks. .

[HarryBek]

Hi Springbok,

Looking at my LA forest, that leaf looks nothing like mine. 99% certain it isn't a LA

[shibui]

Hi Springbok,
Don't suppose you took some photos of the parent tree? The shape of the tree, the bark, etc all give valuable info to ID and obviously a seedling does not have any of that to help us.
The leaves are the shape of Liriodendron but leaves are normally bigger, not smaller. I don't know what its flowers are like and have not heard of it self seeding on roadsides so I doubt this one is that species.

[treeman]

Probably some kind of Sth African species we have never seen here. Does it have milky sap?

[Timothy]

Hi. Thanks for the replies . I got more pics . The trunk , tree , seeds and dry and fresh seed pods. Hope it helps. The trees are all small. I guess the tallest 1 is about 1,7m and they are a number of years old , so i guess it could be a shrub ?
They are planted on the grounds of the municipal offices. No use asking them what trees they are....
Asking the staff what time the 5 o'clock train leaves is considered a trick question.

[shibui]

Thanks for the extra photos but does not look at all familiar to me. Haven't even got any idea what family it is from.

The office staff will probably not know what these are but if you can track down one of the outdoor/ gardens staff and express interest you'd have a pretty good chance of getting some good help and possibly making a valuable contact (local councils regularly dig up and chuck out some great trees and shrubs when they renovate street plantings and gardens)

[Timothy]

Just for interests sake . I finally id'd my mystery tree ! It's called a "Thespesia acutiloba" ( wild tulip tree ). Indigineous to south africa ! Prevelant on the east coast . In spring it would be a year old , so i'm gonna begin some training !

[kcpoole]

Never heard of it, thanks for updating.

Are the used for Bonsai in SA already?

Ken

[Timothy]

I'm not sure mr poole. I saw 1 pic on the net , but it could some other species. I see there is an american "tulip tree" which has nothing to do with this tree obviously. This 1 grows in a sub-tropical climate ,so hopefully it would be as easy as a ficus.