ACER 225 



Acer saccharinum Linne 1753 Soft Maple Silver Maple 



A large tree attaining a height of 33 m. (100 feet), and a trunk di- 

 ameter of 10-14 dm., usually branched into 3-4 secondary stems, bark 

 furrowed, the surface separating into scales, reddish-brown, bark of sec- 

 ondary stems and large branches smooth and gray, leaves deeply 5-lobed 

 with narrow sinuses, lobes remotely and irregularly serrate, truncate or 

 slightly heart-shaped at the base, upper surface green and glabrous, lower 

 surface silvery white and more or less pubescent at least when young, 7-16 

 cm. long, 6-14 cm. wide, petioles 5-12 cm. long; flowers yellowish-red, in 

 nearly sessile, lateral clusters, appearing many days before the leaves, the 

 staminate and pistillate in separate clusters, sometimes on the same tree, 

 sometimes on different ones, calyx slightly 5-lobed, petals lacking, stamens 

 5-7, exceeding the calyx in the staminate flowers; samaras spreading, 

 pubescent when young, about 5 cm. long, wings 12-14 mm. wide: sac- 

 char i n u m, sugary. 



Along streams and riverbanks, common southward and occurring scat- 

 tered northward to the upper Mississippi, Vermillion Lake, etc. Dis- 

 tributed from New Brunswick to Florida, west to Dakota, Nebraska and 

 ( )klahoma. Very extensively planted as a shade and ornamental tree. 

 The wood is light brown in color, close-grained, strong and hard, weigh- 

 ing 33 lbs. It is easily worked and is used for furniture and for floors. 

 Sugar is made to a slight extent from the sap. Blossoms in March and 

 April, fruit ripe in June. 



Acer rubrum Linne 1753 Red Maple Swamp Maple 



A medium-sized, slender tree, 6-20 meters (18-65 feet) high and a 

 trunk diameter of 1-4 dm., bark of the stem gray, separating into flaky 

 ridges, twigs dark red and lustrous, leaves sharply 3-5 lobed, cordate or 

 truncate at the base, lobes acuminate, irregularly serrate or toothed, 

 green and glabrous above, paler and tomentose at least along the veins 

 beneath, 5-12 cm. long, 6-12 cm. wide, petioles 3-8 cm. long; flowers 

 monoecious or dioecious, crimson or yellowish, in lateral sessile clusters, 

 appearing long before the leaves, petals present, linear-oblong, stamens 

 3-7, in the pistillate flowers much reduced; fruits on drooping pedicels, 

 glabrous, samaras slightly spreading, about 3 cm. long, 8-9 mm. wide : 

 rubrum, red. 



In swamps and moist woods, abundant in the eastern part of the 

 state from the north as far south as Winona, west to the White Earth 

 Indian Reservation and Redwood Falls. The wood is light brown in 



