ACER RUBRUM, L. 141 



June. The colors of the autumn leaves vie in splendor with 

 those of the sugar maple. 



Bark. In young trees smooth and light gray, becoming 

 very dark and ridgy in large trunks, the surface separating 

 into scales, and in very old trees hanging in long flakes ; 

 young shoots often bright red in autumn, conspicuously 

 marked with oblong white spots. 



Winter Buds and Leaves. Buds aggregated at or near the 

 ends of the preceding year's shoots, about J- inch long ; pro- 

 tected by dark reddish scales ; inner scales lengthening with 

 the growth of the shoot. Leaves simple, opposite, 3-4 inches 

 long, green and smooth above, lighter and more or less pubescent 

 beneath, especially along the veins ; turning crimson or scarlet 

 in early autumn; ovate, 3-5-lobed, the middle lobe generally 

 the longest, the lower pair (when 5 lobes are present) the 

 smallest ; unequally sharp-toothed, with broad, acute sinuses ; 

 apex acute ; base heart-shaped, truncate, or obtuse ; leafstalk 

 1-3 inches long. The leaves of the red maple vary greatly 

 in size, outline, lobing, and shape of base. 



Inflorescence. April 1-15. Appearing before the leaves 

 in close clusters encircling the shoots of the previous year, 

 varying in color from dull red or pale yellow to scarlet; the 

 sterile and fertile flowers mostly in separate clusters, some- 

 times on the same tree, but more frequently on different trees ; 

 calyx lobes oblong and obtuse ; petals linear-oblong ; pedicels 

 short ; stamens 5-8, much longer than the petals in the sterile 

 and about the same length in the fertile flowers ; the smooth 

 ovary surmounted by a style separating into two much-project- 

 ing stigmatic lobes. 



Fruit. Fruit ripe in June, hanging on long stems, varying 

 from brown to crimson ; keys about an inch in length, at 

 first convergent, at maturity more or less divergent. 



Horticultural Value. Hardy throughout New England ; 

 found in a wider range of soils than any other species of the 

 genus, but seeming to prefer a gravelly or peaty loam in posi- 

 tions where its roots can reach a constant supply of moisture. 

 It is more variable than any other of the native maples 

 and consequently is not so good a tree for streets, where a 



