652 



The Maples 



This interesting tree differs from the others of the Sugar maple group in growing 

 in wet soil, they being upland species. 



16. WHITE-BARKED SUGAR MAPLE— Acer leucoderme Small 



This, the smallest of the eastern Sugar maples, inhabits rocky river-banks and 

 ravines from North Carolina and Georgia westward to Arkansas and Louisiana- 

 It is not known to become more than 13 meters high, nor to form a trunk more 

 than 0.5 meters in thickness, and is often a mere shrub. 



The bark of old trunks is smooth and white, or brown and ridged at the base 



of the tree; that of the branches is 

 gray or reddish. The yoimg twigs 

 are smooth and green, but soon 

 become red-brown and shining. 

 The leaves are usually broader 

 than long, but sometimes nearly 

 orbicular in outline, 5 to 10 cm. 

 across, 3-lobed to 5-lobed, dark 

 green and smooth above, Ughter 

 green and hairy beneath, even 

 when old, truncate to cordate at 

 the base, the pointed lobes with 

 one or more large teeth, or wavy- 

 margined. The flowers resemble 

 those of the Florida sugar maple, 

 being smaller than those of the 

 Sugar maple of the North, and 

 appear with the leaves on fihform 

 smooth drooping pedicels; the ca- 

 lyx is undulately 5-lobed; the ovary and young fruit are hairy, the ripe samaras 

 are red, i to 2 cm. long, smooth, the parallel or divergent wings 5 to 8 mm. wide. 

 The tree has been planted for shade in some southern cities; it is probably not 

 hardy north of Virginia. 



Fig. 604. — White-barked Sugar Maple. 



17. MOUNTAIN SUGAR MAPLE— Acer grandidentatnm Nuttall 



A species of the Rocky mountain region, this tree ranges from northern Mon- 

 tana to eastern Utah, Wyoming, western Texas, and New Mexico, extending 

 southward into Mexico. It sometimes reaches a height of 13 meters, with a trunk 

 2.5 dm. in diameter. It prefers the sides of canons and banks of streams. 



The bark of old trunks is dark brown and scaly, that of young trees lighter 

 brown. The smooth green young twigs soon turn brown. The rather stout- 

 petioled leaves are usually wider than long, 5 to 9 cm. wide, 3-lobed with coarsely 



