﻿Trees of New York State 299 



ACERACEA.E 



Acer rubriini L. 



Red Maple, Swamp Maple 



Habit — Generally a niediuiii-sized tree 40-50 feet in height with a trunk 

 diameter of 1-2 feet, under favorable conditions occasionally becoming 

 100 feet tall with a trunk 4 feet in diameter. In the open the bole is 

 usually 6-10 feet long and branches low down into stout, spreading, 

 upright and horizontal branches to form a compact, narrow, oblong or 

 obovoid head. Under forest conditions the bole is much longer and bears 

 a. restricted crown. 



Leaves — Opposite, orbicular or obovate, 2-6 inches long, truncate or sub- 

 cordate at the base_ palmately 3-5-nerved and lobed, the lobes acute or 

 acuminate, irregularly doubly setrate and separated by shallow, acute 

 sinuses. At maturity the leaves are light green and glabrous above, pale 

 greenish white and glabrous below aside from the prominent veins, borne 

 on slender, red or green petioles 2-4 inches long. 



Flowers — Appearing in March and April in advance of the leaves in dense, 

 sessile, axillary clusters on the growth of the preceding season, scarlet or 

 yellowish red, polygamous, pedicellate, the staminate and pistillate in 

 separate clusters on the same or on different trees. Calyx cami)anulate, 

 deeply 5-lobed, the lobes oblong and obtuse. Petals 5, oblong or linear, 

 ccjualing the calyx-lobes. Stamens 0-8. exserted in the staminate flowers, 

 with slender filaments and scarlet anthers. Pistil consisting of a gla- 

 brous, compressed, laterally lobed ovary and 2 widely divergent styles 

 which bear elongated stigniatic lobes. 



Fruit — A glabrous, scarlet or reddish bro^\^l, double samara consisting of 2 

 somewhat striate, laterally compressed, seed-like carpels about ^4 of an 

 inch long bearing from the back thin, erect, divergent Avings ^/^-l inch 

 long, borne in clusters on drooping stalks 3-4 inches long. The samaras 

 mature in ^lay and June and the seeds usually germinate at once. 



Winter characters — Twigs rather slender, lustrous, pale lenticellate, light 

 or dark red, at length gray tinged with red, odorless when crushed. 

 Lateral leaf-buds opposite, oval-ovate, obtuse, red. short-stalked, about 

 Vfj of an inch long, covered mth 3-4 pairs of visible scales which are 

 rounded and ciliate on the margins. Terminal bud similar but slightly 

 larger. Flower-buds numerous, stout, collateral, usually one on either side 

 of the leaf-bud. Mature bark thin, dark gray, divided by shallow fissures 

 into long, longitudinal ridges which separate into long plates at the 

 surface giving the tree a shagg;s' appearance, that of young trunks and 

 branches smooth and light gray resembling Beech. 



Habitat — -Typically a. bottom-land species inhabiting and attaining its best 

 development on river banks and in low, wet swamps in conijiany with 

 Black Ash, Bed Gum, Pepperidge, etc., or often occupying such sites to the 

 exclusion of other species It also frecjuents higher ground, often forming 

 an important part of the forest in hilly areas in company with other 

 species. 



Kange — Xova 8cotia. westward througli southern Canada to Manitoba, south 

 to Florida and eastern Texas. Zones A, B, C, and D. 



Uses — This species possesses ornamental value, more especially because of 

 its foliage which is whitened beneatii and turns red or scarlet in the 

 autumn. It is to be recommended for roadside and park pl;inting but is 

 not sufficiently hardy for city streets. Wood medium hard, heavy, not 

 strong, close-grained, light brown often with a roseate cast, with thick 

 paler sapwood. Used for chea]> furniture, flooring, in turnery and fur 

 woodenware. 



