84 8APINDACEJE. (SOAPBERRY FAMILY.) 



SUBORDER LTL ACERIWE^E. THE MAPLE FAMILY. 



3. ACER, Tourn. MAPLE. 



Flowers polygamous. Calyx colored, 5- (rarely 4 - 12-) lobed or parted. Pet- 

 als either none, or as many as the lobes of the calyx, equal, with short claws 

 if any, inserted on the margin of the lobed disk, which is either perigynous or 

 hypogynous. Stamens 4-12. Ovary 2-celled, with a pair of ovules in each: 

 styles 2, long and slender, united only below, stigmatie down the inside. From 

 the back of each ovary grows a wing, converting the fruit into two 1 -seeded, at 

 length separable, closed samaras or keys. Seed without albumen. Embryo 

 variously coiled or folded, with large and thin cotyledons. Trees, or some 

 times shrubs, with opposite palmately-lobed leaves, and small flowers. Pedi- 

 cels not jointed. (The classical name, from the Celtic ac, hard.) 

 * Flowers in terminal racemes, greenish, appearing after the leaves : stamens 6-8. 



1. A. Pcmisylvaiiicum, L. (STRIPED MAPLE.) Leaves 3-lobcd 

 at the apex, finely and sharply doubly serrate ; the short lobes taper-pointed, 

 and also serrate ; racemes drooping, loose ; petals obovate ; fruit with large diverg- 

 ing wings. (A. striatum, Lam.) Rich woods, Maine to Wisconsin, and north 

 ward along the Alleghanies to Virginia and Kentucky. June. A small and 

 slender tree, with light-green bark striped with dark lines, and greenish flowers 

 and fruit. Also called Striped Dogwood, and Moose* Wood. 



2. A. spicatllill, Lam. (MOUNTAIN MAPLE.) Leaves downy under- 

 neath, 3- (or slightly 5-) lobed, coarsely serrate, the lobes taper-pointed ; racemes 

 upright, dense, somewhat compound ; petals linear-spatulate ; fruit with small very 

 divergent wings. (A. montanum, Ait.) Moist woods, with the same range 

 as No. 1 . June. A tall shrub, forming clumps. 



# # Flowers umbellate-corymbed, greenish-yellow, appearing with the leaves. 



3. A. saccharin inn, Wang. (SUGAR MAPLE. ROCK MAPLE.) 

 Leaves 3 - 5-lobed, with rounded sinuses and pointed sparingly sinuate-toothed 

 lobes, either heart-shaped or nearly truncate at the base, whitish and smooth or 

 a little downy along the veins beneath; flowers from terminal leaf-bearing and 

 lateral leafless buds, drooping on very slender hairy pedicels ; calyx hairy at the 

 apex ; petals none; wings of the fruit broad, slightly diverging. Kich woods, 

 especially northward and along the mountains southward. April, May. A 

 large, handsome tree. 



Var. Iligriim. (BLACK SUGAR-MAPLE.) Leaves scarcely paler beneath, 

 but often minutely downy, the lobes wider, the sinus at the base often closed. 

 (A. nigrum, Michx.) With the ordinary form. 



# # * Flowers in umbel-like clusters arising from lateral leojlt-ss buds, preceding (he 

 leaves : staiiK-ns 3 - 6. 



4. A. (lasycarpiiiii, Ehrhart. (WHITE or SILVER MAPLE.) Lai res 

 very dec i >l ;i 't-loh/d with the sinuses rather acute, silvery-white (and when young 

 downy) underneath, the division* narrow, cut-lobed and toothed ; flowers 

 (greenish-yellow) on short pedicels , pt-tals none ; fruit u-oo/ly when young, with 

 large divergent wings. River-banks, most common southwaid and 



March, April. A fine ornamental tree. 





