The Trees of Vermont 177 



ACERACEAE 



Box Elder 

 Acer negundo L. [Negundo aceroides Moench.] 



Habit. — A sturdy little tree 30-40 feet high, with a trunk diameter 

 of 1-2 feet. Trunk often divides near the ground into several stout, 

 wide-spreading branches, forming a broad, unsymmetrical, open crown. 



Leaves. — Opposite, pinnately compound. Leaflets 3-5 in number, 

 2-4 inches long, 1>^-2J^ inches broad; ovate or oval; nearly entire, 

 irregularly and remotely coarse-toothed above the middle, or some- 

 times 3-lobed (often giving the leaflet a jagged outhne) ; apex acute, 

 base variable ; glabrous or somewhat pubescent at maturity, with prom- 

 inent veins. Petioles slender, 2-3 inches long, the enlarged base leav- 

 ing prominent crescent-shaped scars partly surrounding the winter- 

 buds. 



Flowers. — -April-May, before or with the leaves ; dioecious ; small, 

 yellow-green ; the staminate in clusters on long, thread-hke, hairy 

 pedicels ; the pistillate in narrow, drooping racemes ; calyx hairy, 5- 

 lobed ; corolla ; stamens 4-6 ; ovary pubescent. 



Fruit. — Early summer, but hanging until late autumn or early 

 spring; narrow, flat, winged samaras, in pairs, clustered in drooping, 

 racemose clusters. 



Winter-buds. — Terminal bud ^-^ inch long, acute, inclosed in 

 two dull red scales, often hoary or minutely pubescent ; lateral buds 

 obtuse, appressed. 



Bark. — Twigs greenish to purple, glaucous ; trunk pale gray or 

 light brown, deeply cleft into broad ridges. 



Wood. — Light, soft, close-grained, weak, creamy white, with thick, 

 hardly distinguishable sapwood. 



Distribution.— From the Winooski river southward, in some 

 places locally abundant ; occurs sparingly along streams in the Cham- 

 plain valley. 



Habitat. — Banks of streams and borders of swamps. Prefers 

 deep, moist soil. 



Notes. — The box elder accommodates itself to almost any situa- 

 tion. It is easily transplanted and grows rapidly. For these reasons 

 it is sometimes planted for shade and ornament, but it is not a desirable 

 tree for this purpose. 



