B5 



VINE MAPLE 



A'cer circina'tum 



Leaves opposite, circular in 

 outline, about as broad as 

 long (2 to 7 in.), heart-shaped 

 at base, 7- to 9-lobed, occasion- 

 ally cleft to middle, thin, red- 

 dish and somewhat hairy when 

 young, hairless when older ex- 

 cept for small tufts of hairs in 

 angles of the prominent large 

 veins; lobes sharply double- 

 toothed around margins, 

 pointed at tips; leafstalk 1 to 2 

 in. long 



"Seeds" (samaras) paired, 

 hairless, winged; wings thin, 

 widely spreading, often forming 

 a nearly straight line, % to IK 

 'in. long, bright red or rose- 

 colored when mature 



Twigs smooth, pale green or 

 reddish brown, occasionally 

 with a whitish bloom 



Vine maple gained its name from the straggling, crooked, vinelike appearance 

 of its smooth, slender stems. The specific name ciroinatum, meaning coiled, 

 also alludes to the vinelike habit of growth. This species grows either as 

 a slender shrub or small tree in the forests of the Northwest, ranging from 

 British Columbia to Mendocino County, California. In Washington it occurs 

 mainly on the west side of the Cascade Mountains, but also grows in the 

 canyon bottoms, along drainage lines, and on moist slopes on the eastern side 



