Maple family 



launch the seeds some distance from the parent tree and so 

 perfc)rm their part in the economy of nature. 



SUGAR MAPLE. ROCK MAPLE. 



.-/ivr bdrbjliiiii. Acer sauhanim. 



Widely distributed and abundant throughout eastern North 

 America in rich uplands and intervale. Grows rapidly with a large 

 fibrous root which at first is near the surface but finally penetrates 

 deep. In the forest often reaches the height of one hundred and 

 twenty feet. Produces most of the maple sugar of commerce. A 

 variety, the Black Maple, A. saccliariiin iiii^nuii, is recognized. 



Bark. — On young trees and large limbs light gray, smooth and 

 slightly furrowed ; on old trees dark, with deep longitudinal furrows, 

 shaggy. Branchlets green, later \ellowish brown, shining, marked 

 with pale lenticels, finally pale brown. 



Wood. — Light brown, tinged with red; heavy, hard, strong, tough 

 and close-grained, capable of a fine polish. Much used in in- 

 terior furnishing of buildings, manufacture of furniture, handles of 

 tools ; has a high fuel value. Curled and bird's-eye are accidental 

 varieties. Sp. gr., o.6gi2 ; weight of cu. ft., 43. oS lbs. 



Winter Buds. — Purplish, quarter of an inch long, acute. Scales 

 enlarge when spring growth begins ; the inner scales become an inch 

 and a half long, downy and bright yellow before they fall. 



Leaves. — Opposite, simple, three to five inches long and of greater 

 breadth. Of rive di\erging lobes which are separated by rounded 

 sinuses. The two lower are smaller and shorter than the others, 

 each lobe tapers to a slender point and each contains a primary 

 vein. Base, heart-shaped by broad or narrow sinus, or truncate, or 

 wedge-shaped. Margin sparingly toothed. They come out of the 

 bud tawny, coated with tonientuni, when full grown are bright or 

 dark green on upper surface, pale green on lower. In autumn they 

 turn crimson, scarlet, orange and clear yellow. Petioles long, slen- 

 der, often reddish. 



Flowers. — May. Polygamo monrecious or dioecious. Greenish 

 yellow, appearing with the leaves in umbel-like corymbs from termi- 

 nal leafy buds and lateral leafless ones. Sterile and fertile flowers 

 are in separate clusters on the same or on difterent trees, fertile 

 flowers terminal and sterile usually lateral. Pedicels hairy, thread- 

 like, one and a half to three inches long. 



Calyx. — Campanulate, five-lobed, lobes imbricate in bud, hairy. 



Ci?rf//<(.— Wanting. 



66 



