BROADLEAVED TREES OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK 35 



"ropev" ctppeorance. The branches numerous stout, short spines or 

 are characterized by the presence of prickles. 



SUGAR MAPLE 

 Acer saccharum Marsh — Maple Family (Aceraceae) 



This is an important tree of the 

 eastern states. It is, perhaps, best 

 known for the maple syrup which is 

 derived from the sap taken from the 

 trees in certain sections of its natural 

 range — particularly in the "sugar 

 bush" of New England. The two 

 specimens of sugar maple found in 

 Yosemite Valley have not been so 

 used. 



While the locally introduced sugar 

 maples can be readily identified as 

 maples due to the distinctive foliage, 

 they are rarely recognized as distinct 

 from the bigleaf maple which is na- 

 tive to this region and which is pres- 

 ent here in relative abundance (see 

 page 23). These two species are su- 

 perficially alike in general appear- 

 ance, the principal differences be- 

 tween the two being found in the 

 leaves and the flowers. Although 

 having relatively the same form, the 

 leaves of the sugar maple are con- 

 siderably smaller — being a maxi- 

 mum of from three to five inches in 

 width as compared to the much 

 larger sized leaves of the bigleaf 

 maple. The flowers of the sugar 

 maple (greenish yellow and appear- 

 ing at the same time as the leaves) 

 are borne in corymbs, that is in loose 

 clusters with the long stems of the 

 flowers having a common point of 



Photo by AiiJenoii 



Tin Ilk dcttiil of siifiiir iiial'lc 



attachment on the twig. This arrange- 

 ment is quite different from that of 

 the bigleaf maple — its flowers are in 

 racemes, elongated clusters with the 

 flowers being borne upon short stems 

 attached to a central axis. 



The two sugar maples found just 

 east of the general store were planted 

 about 1902, 1903 or 1904. They ore 

 about fourteen inches in diameter 

 and fifty feet tall. 



