Handbook of Trees of the JSTorthken States and Canada. 305 



The Red IMiijile snmetinios attains tlie liei^'it 

 of 100 ft. or mure, when gruwing in the forest, 

 with a trunk '.i or 4 fl. in diameter, and when 

 growing away from the inlhienee of other trees 

 develops an oval or rounded top. It inhabits 

 ihielly bottom lands and the banks of streams 

 and swamps in company in the nortli with the 

 Black and Red Ash. ,\rljor \'ita\ Hornbeam, 

 Tamarack, etc., and in ])laces forms almost ex- 

 clusive forests. It is one of the first trees to 

 show its autumnal colors of brilliant scarlet 

 and is then a very conspicuous and beautiful 

 object. The swelling of its buds in late winter 

 is one of the first evideiu'es of ap])roaching 

 ^niing, ami its early llowcrs open and offer 

 their abundant nectar as early as it is warm 

 enough for the bees to visit them. Even before 

 the leaves appear in southern regions the tree 

 is gorgeous with its crimson full-grown sa- 

 maras, though in northern regions they ilo 

 not attain full size until after the leaves ap- 

 pear. 



The wood is extensivcdy used in manufacture 

 of furniture, a cu. ft. wlien ahsiduteU' dr\' 

 weighing US. ,50 ll)s., and a considerable portion 

 of the Curly Ma|dr of commerce comes from 

 this tree,i Maple sugar is also made fi-om its 

 sap though as the saji is not as SA\'eet as that 

 of the Sugar Maple it requires more to make 

 a pound of sugar. 



Li-iircx -IC, in. loiiii. .".-r,-lriliril, witli sliallnw aculc 

 sinuses and irrci^uiariy il(»iil)ly sciaaUc a(ailc or 

 acuminate Iol)es, truncate or subcordalc at liasc, 

 puhescent at tirst, at maturity i^]al)rous srrcTi 

 above, whitisli and mostl.v j;lai)rous beneatli, bright 

 scarlet in autumn ; petinlcs slender. F^oirci-fi in 

 earliest spring before the leaves, scarlet or yello\\'- 

 tinted, in lateral fascicles; j)etals oblong-linear; 

 ovary p:lal)rous. Fruit on drooiiinj; pedicels lJ-4 

 in. Ion,;;,', diver,c;ent, i^Iabrous, nearl.\- 1 in. lonK. 



Var. tritfctis Wood- is a form in coast region 

 from N. .T. to Fla. and Tex., having leaves mostly 

 smaller, more obovate. narrow and cnneate i>r 

 rounded at base, ;^,-lobed (or lateral lobes sone-- 

 tinies suppi'essedl dark green abo\-e. much liirhtiT 

 and glaucous beneath, thickish ; fruit smaller, 

 sometimes yellowish. 



1. A. W., Ill, 53. 



2. Syn. A. CaniUii'nniiiiii Walt. 



