Odd Leaf

Have you ever seen a leaf like this one before?

I never had, until Hyperion and I were taking a walk recently, in Illinois.  We came upon this tree, and the leaves all looked like they had had their tops cut straight off.  Barring some maniac with scissors, we knew this must be a natural phenomena and took these photos.  I was surprised that Hyperion couldn't identify this tree on sight.

Next came the investigation.  Through very clever deductive work (and some handy field guides, and Google searches), we were able to name our find.  This was yellow poplar.

Yellow poplars are sometimes known as tulip trees.  Their blossoms bear a resemblance to tulips.  They are not true tulips trees, but are really in the magnolia family instead.  They are also sometimes called canoe trees, and I'm sure you can guess why.  These trees are known for their great height - being among the tallest in North America, if not the tallest.  Yellow poplars are not as common as oaks and maples, and are rare west of the Mississippi River.  I was glad to have seen one, and should now be able to identify it any time I run across one in the future.