AESCULUS— ACER 219 



Aesculus glabra W i 1 1 d e n o w 1809 Ohio Buckeye Fetid 



Buckeye 



A tree reaching a maximum height of about 16 m. (50 feet), bark of 

 trunk dark and furrowed, exhaling a fetid odor; leaves opposite, long- 

 petioled, leaflets 5-7, oval, oblong or lanceolate, narrowed at the base, 

 acuminate at the apex, finely and sharply serrate, glabrous above, pubes- 

 cent in the axils of the veins beneath, 8-15 cm. long, 2.5-6 cm. wide, 

 petioles 7-15 cm. long; inflorescence a terminal panicle, 10-15 cm. long, 

 about 5 cm. in diameter, flowers numerous, pale yellow, about 15 mm. 

 long, calyx campanulate, petals 4, slightly unequal, stamens curved, ex- 

 serted; fruit 2.5-3.5 cm. in diameter, very prickly when young, becoming 

 smoothish at maturity: glabra, smooth. 



Frequently planted. Distributed in woods from the Alleghenies of 

 Pa. to Alabama, west to Mich, and Ind. The wood is soft and white, the 

 sap wood slightly darker, weighing 28 lbs. The timber is used for arti- 

 ficial limbs and several kinds of woodenware articles. Blossoms in April 

 and May. Fruit ripe in August and September. 



Aceraceae Maple Family 



Trees or shrubs with watery often sugary sap ; leaves opposite, simple 

 and palmately lobed or more rarely palmately or pinnately divided ; flow- 

 ers in axillary or terminal cymes, clusters or racemes, polygamous or dioe- 

 cious, regular, calyx mostly 5-parted, petals 5 or none, disk thick, round 

 or lobed, sometimes wanting, stamens 4-12, mostly 8, ovary 2-celled, 2- 

 lobed, styles 2, from between the lobes; fruit 2 long-winged samaras 

 united at the base, each 1 -seeded, cotyledons rolled up in the seed. 



The family consists of two genera, Acer and Dipteronia. The lat- 

 ter differs from Acer in the samara being winged all around. The genus 

 Acer contains a little over one hundred species, natives of the north tem- 

 perate zone. 



Acer Linne 1753 Maple 

 (L. a c e r, maple tree) 



Key to the Species 



1. Leaves simple 



a. Shrubs, flowers in racemes, or narrow pan- 

 icles, native A. s pi cat urn 



