RED MAPLE 



RED MAPLE. SWAMP MAPLE. SOFT MAPLE. 



Acer rubrum. 



Generally distributed throughout eastern North America. Loves 

 the borders of streams and low swamp lands which it sometimes 

 covers to the exclusion of other trees. Will grow when planted on 

 rich, well dressed, upland soil. Roots large, and fibrous. Grows 

 rapidly. Attains the height of eighty to one hundred feet with trunk 

 three to four feet in diameter. Its upright branches form a narrow 

 head. The sap will produce sugar, but not abundantly. 



Bark. Dark gray, divided by longitudinal ridges, the surface 

 separating into large scales. Branchlets green or dark red, later 

 bright red and shining, marked by many white lenticels, finally 

 they become light gray tinged with red, sometimes almost white. 



Wood. Light brown tinged with red, sapwood lighter ; heavy, 

 close grained. Not very strong, smooth satiny surface. Presents 

 curled and bird's eye varieties. Used for cabinet work, is suffi- 

 ciently elastic to be used for oars ; fuel value is high. Sp. gr., 

 0.6178; weight of cu. ft., 38.50^5. 



Winter Buds. Flower buds aggregated, obtuse, red. Leaf buds 

 obtuse, red, one-eighth of an inch long. The scales enlarge when 

 spring growth begins, the inner become three-quarters of an inch 

 long, narrow, and bright scarlet. 



Leaves. Opposite, simple, two to six inches long, rather longer 

 than broad, palmately three to five-lobed, lobes separated by acute 

 sinuses, middle lobe longer than the others ; lobes irregularly doubly 

 serrate or toothed. Base more or less heart-shaped or truncate; 

 principal nerves conspicuous. They come out of the bud pale green 

 and downy, when full grown are smooth, bright green above, whit- 

 ish and downy beneath. In autumn they turn scarlet or crimson. 

 Petioles long, slender, red or green. 



Flowers. March, April, before the leaves. Polygamo-monoecious, 

 or dioecious. Rich crimson or scarlet or dull yellowish red. Borne 

 on the branchlets of the previous year in few-flowered fascicles, on 

 short pedicels. 



Calyx. Sepals four to five, oblong, obtuse, red, imbricate in bud. 



Petals. Four to five, linear, red, imbricate in bud. 



Stamens. Five to six, scarlet ; filaments slender, exserted in the 

 staminate, included in the pistillate ; anthers oblong, introrse, two- 

 celled ; cells opening longitudinally. 



Pistil. Ovary superior, two-lbbed, two -celled, compressed con- 

 trary to the dissepiments, wing-margined, smooth, borne on a narrow 

 disk. Styles two, united for a short distance, then separated into 

 long, exserted, stigmatic lobes. Ovules two in each cell. 



77 



