136 ACERACEyE. Acer. 



coarsely and sparingly sinuate-toothed ; sepals bearded at the apex within ; petals none ; fruit 

 smooth, on long nodding and partly hairy pedicels , the wings dilated above, somewhat erect 

 or slightly diverging. — Wang. Amer. p. 36. t. 11./. 26 ; Michx ft. 2. p. 252 ; Pursh, fl. 1. 

 p. 266; Michx. sylv. 1. t. 42; Ell. sk. \.p. 450; Torr.Jl. \.p. 397; Hook. fl. Bar. -Am. 1. 

 p. 113 ; Darlingt.fl. Cest. p. 245 ; Torr. ^ Gr. fl. N. Am. 1. p. 248. 



var. nigrum: {Black Sugar Maple.) Leaves pale green beneath, the veins of the lower 

 surface and petioles minutely villous-pubescent ; wings of the fruit a little more diverging. — 

 Torr. 4- Gr. I. c. A. nigrum, Michx. f. sylv. 1. ^ 43 ; Pursh, fl. \. p. 266 ; Ell. sk. 1. 

 p. 450; Torr.fl. 1. p. 397. 



A handsome tree, often from 50 - 80 feet high, and the trunk 2-3 feet in diameter ; bark 

 smooth and light-colored ; tlie wood compact. Leaves 3-5 inches in diameter, deep green 

 and smooth above ; when young, almost villous underneath, but finally only slightly pubescent 

 except on the veins : lobes diverging, usually 5-lobed, the 2 inferior lobes smaller and entire : 

 petioles 2-3 inches long. Calyx campanulate, greenish-yellow, unequally crenate-toothed. 

 Pedicels of the sterile flowers 1-3 inches long. Stamens 6-8. Wings of the fruit semi- 

 obovate, greenish-yellow, about an inch long. 



Fertile woods ; common, particularly in the western part of the State. Fl. April - May. 

 Fr. September. 



The wood is valuable for fuel ; and accidental varieties of it are the Birdseyc Maple and 

 Curled Maple of cabinet-makers. The sap, early in the season, affords the well known maple 

 sugar. For the details of its manufacture, see Michaux, Sylv. vol. I. pp. 228 - 234. The 

 Black Sugar Maple is by some botanists regarded as a distinct species, but I have been 

 unable to discover its peculiar characters. Neither the descriptions nor the figures of the 

 younger Michaux exhibit any well-marked difference between it and the Common Sugar 

 Maple, and yet they can generally be distinguished in their native woods. 



♦♦♦ Pedicels in fascicles, proceeding from lateral leafless buds: fUnocrs preceding the leaves. 



4. Acer dasycarpum, Ehrh. (Plate xviii.) Silver -leaved Maple. White Maple. 



Leaves somewhat cordate or often truncate at the base (white underneath), deeply 5-lobed, 

 with the sinuses rathes obtuse ; lobes acute, unequally incised and toothed, entire towards the 

 base ; pedicels much shorter than the fruit ; petals none ; fruit woolly when young, nearly 

 smooth when old, with very large upwardly dilated wings. — " Ehrh. heilr. 4. p. 24 ;" Willd. 

 sp. 4. p. 985 ; Nutt. gen. 1. p. 252 ; Ell. sk. 1. p. 449 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 379 ; Torr. fl. 

 p. 396 ; Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 113 ; Torr. <J- Gr. fl. N. Am. 1. p. 248. A. eriocarpum, 

 Michx. fl. 2. p. 253 ; Desf. in ann. Mus. 7. t. 25 ; Michx. f. sylv. 1. «. 48 ; DC. prodr. 1. 

 p. 595 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 245. 



A tree 30 - 50 feet high, and often 1-2 feet in diameter, with widely spreading branches ; 

 the wood white and soft ; sap less sweet than that of the Sugar Maple, Leaves on long 

 petioles, lobed beyond the middle, nearly smooth when old. Flowers greenish-yellow or 



