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SILVER MAPLE 



{Acer sacchannum L.) 



T'HE silver or soft maple occurs rarely except 

 on moist land and along streams. It attains 

 heights of 100 feet or more and diameters of 3 feet 

 or over. It usually has a short trunk which divides 

 into a number of large ascending limbs. These 

 again subdivide, and the small branches droop but 

 turn upward at the tips. The bark on the old stems 



SILVER MAPLE 

 Twig, one-half natural size. Leaf, one-third natural size. 



is dark gray and broken into long flakes or scales ; 

 on the young shoots, it is smooth and varies in 

 color from reddish to a yellowish gray. The silver 

 maple grows rapidly and has been much planted 

 as a shade tree, but is less desirable than many 

 other trees because of its brittleness and suscepti- 

 bility to insects and fungous diseases. 



The leaves are opposite on the stem, have from 3 

 to 5 lobes ending in long points with toothed edges 

 and are separated by deep angular sinuses or open- 

 ings ; they are pale green on the upper surface and 

 silvery white underneath. The buds are rounded, 

 red or reddish brown, blunt-pointed; generally like 

 those of red maple. 



The flowers appear in the spring before the leaves, 

 in dense clusters, and are of a greenish yellow color. 

 The fruit ripens in late spring. It consists of a pair 

 of winged seeds or "keys" with wings 1 to 2 inches 

 long on slender, flexible, thread-like stems about an 

 inch long. 



The wood is soft, weak, even-textured, rather brit- 

 tle, easily worked, and decays readily when exposed. 

 It is occasionally used for flooring, furniture and 

 fuel. 



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